Longing For Home
by MegTDJ
Summary: How would things have been different if Sha’re had been pregnant at the time that Apophis came to Abydos? A little glimpse of an AU where Daniel and Sha’re got their happily-ever-after.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Longing for Home  
Author: MegTDJ  
Category: Angst/drama; romance  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairing: Daniel/Sha're  
Spoilers: From Children of the Gods through to Crystal Skull, and a tiny one for The Curse.  
Summary: How would things have been different if Sha're had been pregnant at the time that Apophis came to Abydos? A little glimpse of an AU where Daniel and Sha're got their happily-ever-after.  
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1, its universe and its characters are not mine. The story itself is, however, so please don't archive without my permission.

Author's notes: For Aislynn, who said on her Christmas wish list that, "A good old fashioned Sha're/Daniel fic would be lovely, less angst, more happy ending." I had the idea for this fic already in my mind, so... here it is! I hope you enjoy.

Many thanks to Kerri, Azar, Tallie, Misty, and the gang at Gateview for the encouragement and inspiration. I don't think I'd ever finish a fic if it weren't for you guys!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

**Longing for Home**

"Must you go, Danyel?"

Daniel slung his sack over his shoulder and bent down to give his wife a sweet kiss. "Yeah, I have to take my turn at guarding the chappa'ai just like everyone else," he said. "You'll be fine. Choya will be here to..."

"I was thinking about _your_ welfare, Husband, not my own."

Daniel blinked at her, obviously not understanding at first what she was saying. Then he saw the light of humour in her eyes and laughed. "I'm sure I'll be fine," he said. "Skaara will take good care of me."

Sha're smiled and pulled her husband into her arms. "I shall miss you, my Danyel."

Daniel held her tight and stroked her back lovingly. "I'll miss you, too."

"I wish that I could go with you again."

Daniel pulled away from her and cupped her face in his hands as he looked into her eyes. "You have to take care of yourself now, Sha're," he said. "You need to rest so you'll be strong and healthy when the baby comes."

Sha're did not understand her husband's reasoning in this. Surely the way to gain strength and good health is through exercise? Still, she did not argue. She had been raised to believe that a wife must do as her husband says without question, and even though Daniel himself had challenged these rules and told her that they were to treat each other as equals, she enjoyed it when he took charge over her. He never did so in a cruel way as some other husbands did. He always wanted what was best for her, and she loved him for that.

"I'll be back in a couple of days," Daniel said as he moved toward the opening of their tent. "Send for me if anything... happens."

Sha're smiled softly. "I will. Goodbye, my Danyel."

He lifted his hand in a brief wave. "Bye." Then he stepped out of the tent and disappeared from her view.

Sha're sighed in contentment as she stroked her swollen belly. She loved the feeling of having Daniel's child inside of her. She knew she had made him a very happy man, and somewhere along the way, that had become the most important thing in life to her. She knew he would make a wonderful father, and that he was looking forward to the baby's arrival with great anticipation. She must not let him down by overworking herself and becoming ill, or making him worry while she did things he did not wish her to do. If Daniel told her she must rest, then rest she would.

She spent the first part of the day doing light chores around their little home, stopping for a rest and a meal when Choya gave her a disapproving look. It was then that the messenger came.

"Sha're! Sha're!" The young man burst into her tent, breathless from his long run.

"What is it?" Sha're asked as she rose to her feet. "What has happened?"

"The chappa'ai!" he cried. "It came to life!"

"Danyel was able to activate it?" she asked, feeling a rush of joy come over her at the thought. Her husband had been trying without success to bring his "Stargate" to life, and she knew how excited he must be if it had finally worked.

"No!" the messenger said, shaking his head. "Someone else... from another world! Danyel seemed to know who it was from the object they sent through."

Sha're gasped. "Was it... Danyel's people?"

"Yes! I believe he said the name Jack O'Neill."

Sha're sank back down onto her cushions, clutching her belly anxiously as this thought sank in. What if Daniel's people had come to take him back to Earth? They were supposed to believe that he and everyone on Abydos was dead. Had Jack O'Neill contacted Daniel on his own? What if he had told them what had really happened, and now they were going to send another bomb to destroy their planet like Daniel said they had originally been sent to do?

Worse still - what if these people came through the chappa'ai and seeing them made Daniel wish to return to his home? Would he abandon her for them? Would he expect her to accompany him and leave her people behind?

She wished she were there with him now. Then she could perhaps remind him how much there was for him on Abydos and how little there was on Earth to tie him there. But she was not, so all she could do was be patient and await further word from her husband. Perhaps all of her worrying would be for nothing in the end.

Resolving to keep her thoughts away from worry, she picked up the little dress she was making for the baby and busied her hands with her work.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

_"Daniel, I'm under orders to bring you back this time."_

"I don't give a damn about your orders, Jack! I'm not leaving!"

"What about Skaara, huh? He's out there, Daniel. Don't you want to find him?"

"Of course I do..."

"Then come with us."

Daniel wiped a stray tear from his cheek as he approached the village. He hadn't decided yet what he was going to tell Sha're and Kasuf about Skaara. Hell, he wasn't even sure what had happened to Skaara. He couldn't really have been taken by Ra... could he?

He cursed himself for digging up the gate in the first place. This entire mess was his fault, and if Skaara was killed... he didn't even want to finish that thought.

Now because of that stupid mistake, not only had men been killed and his brother-in-law kidnapped, but also he was being forced to return to Earth, despite his impassioned arguments against it. He was lucky that Jack had agreed to let him return to the village for Sha're first, though he didn't really expect her to come along. He was probably going to have to say goodbye to her, and the thought of it was breaking his heart.

The worst part was that he might never even see his own child. He couldn't think of any fate more horrible than that.

He was walking quickly, so he arrived at his tent in no time at all. Sha're was sitting on her cushions doing some form of needlework, but she rose to her feet when he entered. Neither of them said a word, but the look on her face told him that she knew something was wrong.

"Danyel?"

Daniel winced. How could he tell her? There was no way he could say this without causing her intense pain and sorrow. "Sha're..."

"What has happened, Husband?" she asked in a small voice.

The look of worry in her dark eyes almost made Daniel break down right then and there, but somehow he was able to hold himself together as he stepped towards her. "I think you should sit down first," he said, gently taking her arm and guiding her back down onto her cushions.

"Tell me," she demanded. "What is wrong?"

Daniel took her hands in his and stroked them softly. "I don't really know how to tell you this," he said. "The Stargate... the chappa'ai..."

"Men from Earth came back again?"

Daniel nodded. "But they're not the only ones who came through. I was right when I figured that the Stargate goes to worlds other than Earth. What I didn't count on was that there might be other enemies out there on those worlds."

"Husband, what are you saying?" she asked anxiously.

"I'm saying... that after Jack O'Neill and the others from Earth came through... another group of men came through. Bad men... aliens. I don't know who they were or why they came, but some of the boys who saw them said that one looked like Ra."

"Ra is dead!"

"I know. That's why it just doesn't make sense." Daniel sighed and kissed her hands. "I'm sorry, Sha're," he said, his eyes full of tears. "Some of the boys were killed... and they took Skaara with them."

Daniel had never seen his wife crumple as badly as she did right then. Her bones seemed to turn into rubber, her face drained of colour, and she slumped forward with her head in his lap. "Sha're?" Daniel cried anxiously. When she didn't respond, Daniel quickly checked her pulse and then scooped her up into his arms.

Without a second thought, Daniel carried her right out of the tent and made his way to the waiting mastadge that would take him back to the pyramid. Sha're needed a doctor, so there wasn't a moment to waste.

He was taking her home.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

**Longing For Home**

A strange beeping was the first sound to greet Sha're's ears when she finally became aware of her surroundings again. She had never heard a sound such as this before, and it frightened her. Her eyes flew open, but all she could see was a bright, white light.

"Danyel!" she cried.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm right here."

Sha're turned her head to see her husband sitting beside her.

He leaned forward to stroke her hair and smiled softly. "You're on Earth, in the SGC. You passed out, and it scared the life out of me. The doctors here are taking good care of you."

"Earth?" Sha're repeated in disbelief. Surely Daniel had not taken her from her home without even asking her first? He always spoke to her before making decisions, whether they were big or small. How could he have done this? "Why did you bring me here?"

"I'm sorry, Sha're, but I had to," he replied sadly. "Jack was going to drag me through the gate with or without you, and I couldn't leave you behind. Especially not when you're in this condition."

Panic swept over her like sand in a windstorm. She sat up and struggled to get out from under the blankets that were pulled up to her chest. "I must return home," she said. "Father will be worried. I must return to him."

Daniel held her down with his hands on her shoulders. "You can't, Sha're," he said, his voice taking on a firm tone. "I told the boys to bury the Stargate so that no one else could come through."

Sha're could not believe what she was hearing. "You did what?" she whispered, feeling rage well up inside of her. "How could you? You have cut me off from my home... my family? How could you be so cruel?"

"Forgive me, Sha're, but I think you would also have found it cruel of me if I'd abandoned you and our child while you were lying unconscious on the floor of our tent. It was an impossible decision to make, but I couldn't just leave you there. You're safer here, and we're still together. That's what really matters, isn't it?"

She looked up at him in silence for a long moment, scarcely able to believe what he was saying to her. "What of Skaara?" she finally asked. "Where have they taken him?"

Daniel sighed. "We don't know. We're hoping that one of the men from Earth saw the symbols they used, but right now he's unconscious." He looked down at his hands and added in a sorrowful voice, "I'm so sorry, Sha're. This is all my fault. I should never have..."

"Danyel," she said, holding her hand to his face to silence him. "Please stop."

He turned his tear-filled eyes back onto her face at her quiet words. She could never stay angry with him for long when he looked at her with those sad blue eyes. She held her arms out to him, and he gathered her into a loving embrace.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I'm so sorry."

Her baby moved inside of her, and she clung to her husband for dear life. It seemed that they were all she had left. "What is going to happen?" she asked through her tears.

"I don't know," Daniel said. "We'll find Skaara somehow, I promise. But the doctor said there's something wrong with you... your blood pressure dropped suddenly, and that's why you fainted. He says whatever's wrong could be dangerous for both you and the baby, so you have to stay in bed for a while."

Sha're did not like the sound of that, but she pulled away from Daniel to look into his eyes again. "Is the baby well?" she asked anxiously, dropping one hand to stroke her belly.

"Yes, the baby's fine," Daniel assured her, laying his hand over hers. "You just have to rest in order to keep it that way, okay?"

Sha're nodded, though she only partly understood what he was telling her. "And you?" she asked.

"I'll be staying right here with you until you and the baby are safe and well," he said, smiling sadly and stroking her cheek.

"No," she said in as firm a tone as she dared use with her husband. "You must find Skaara."

Daniel blinked. "I can't just..."

"You must," she insisted. "If he has been taken, and that injured man knows where, then you must go there and bring him back to us. Please, Husband."

Daniel sat down on the edge of her bed, took her face in his hands, and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Okay," he said. "I'll see what I can do, but I'll have to ask General Hammond for permission first, and to be honest, I'm not exactly his favourite person right now."

"Thank you," Sha're said, feeling much better just at hearing those words coming from his mouth.

"I'm staying here until you fall asleep, though," he said, taking hold of her hand. "Just close your eyes and relax, okay?"

Sha're forced a smile and obeyed, closing her eyes and trying to free her body and mind of the anxiety that was threatening to overwhelm her. After a minute or two, with Daniel gently holding her hand and her baby softly stirring in her belly, she began to drift off to sleep.

Her last conscious thought was the realization that life was going to be very different from now on, but that as long as Daniel was beside her, it was nothing she could not handle.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Daniel stared down at the papers in his hands with an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the names Sha're El Kasuf and Daniel Melburn Jackson. For some reason it seemed strange to see them written out next to each other like that. But there they were - legally married in the United States of America. The last step in making it look like Sha're had actually been born and raised on Earth.

The cover story was that he had met her while he was off on an extended dig somewhere in Egypt, and thankfully Sha're had memorized the fabricated tale of their relationship right off the bat. She was being so brave, so patient, and so understanding, yet all the time she had such a look of pain in her eyes that it was making Daniel feel horrible for putting her in this position in the first place.

They hadn't bothered with a ceremony of any kind, because after the weeklong festivities of their first wedding, they didn't feel the need for another. They'd simply signed the papers and that was it. Just like that, Sha're was a United States citizen. It was all very surreal.

At the sound of a soft sigh coming from across the room, Daniel looked up to see that Sha're was curled up on their brand new couch, fast asleep. He smiled softly, placed the documents in the cupboard with the other papers and miscellaneous objects he had just unpacked, and rose to his feet.

He had to step over a lot of empty boxes as he made his way over to her, but he was careful not to make a sound. When he reached her side, he knelt down and just drank in the sight of her. She was wearing a denim dress with a bulky cardigan over top, and although she had been complaining earlier of being cold, her cheeks were glowing a warm red as she peacefully slept. She had taken to using conditioner in her hair, so it was now a lot flatter against her head and was much straighter than it had been on Abydos. All of these factors made her look just as American as the next woman, yet every time he looked at her, he still saw his beautiful desert rose.

As much as it pained him to see the changes in her, he was glad that they were starting to settle into their life together on Earth at last. Sha're had been confined to the base for the first few weeks, and Daniel had been worried sick about her and the baby during all of the attempted Goa'uld attacks and his first off-world missions. After that, Jack had taken them in while they'd looked for just the right house to suit their needs as a growing family.

Now here they were. This small, three-bedroom bungalow seemed to fit them like a glove. Not so big that Sha're would feel overwhelmed by it after living in a small tent all her life, but not so small that they would be tripping over each other once the baby was crawling around, either. It was also fairly close to the base, and wasn't far away from Jack and Sam's places as well. Best of all, it was located in a very nice, family-friendly neighbourhood, and there was a tiny park just down the street. Perfect.

Too bad neither of them felt they could handle staying there for long.

The fact was, even though neither of them said it aloud, they were both longing for home. Abydos was home to them, not Earth. The people there were their family, not anyone here. They were lonely even though they were together. Homesickness had taken its hold on their hearts, and it didn't feel as though it would ever let them go.

Daniel had told Sha're that he'd instructed the boys to dig the gate up for one day in exactly one year, but both of them knew there was only a slim chance that they'd be able to return then. At least, there was only a slim chance that they would _both_ be able to return and live there together again. The thought of that made their hearts so heavy that it was almost impossible for them to enjoy the time they were spending together now.

It certainly didn't help that it was the dead of winter. Sha're had never known such cold weather, and had never even heard of snow, let alone seen it fall. Right away Daniel could tell that she was definitely not a winter person. "Is it always so cold here, Husband?" she had asked as she huddled up against him on their first night off the base.

"Only for a few months of the year," Daniel had replied. "It never gets quite as hot as Abydos, but the summers here are quite pleasant."

"When will summer come?"

Daniel didn't have the heart to tell her it was still months away, so he had simply said, "Soon," and left it at that.

The first thing she had done upon entering their new home was figure out how to work the thermostat. She was a quick learner, and within minutes the house had been toasty warm. Still, Daniel now felt he should err on the side of caution, so he took a blanket from one of the boxes nearby and gently draped it over his sleeping wife.

She shifted position slightly and gave another sigh, but she didn't wake up. Daniel smiled and smoothed her long hair back from where it had fallen over her face. She was so beautiful it almost hurt him to look at her sometimes.

A sudden knock at the door broke the silence, and Daniel froze, watching Sha're anxiously to see if it had disturbed her. When he was content that she was still fast asleep, he got to his feet and carefully crossed the obstacle course that was his new living room to peek out of the window.

When he saw who was standing there, he grinned and opened the door wide. "Catherine!" he exclaimed, opening his arms to the elderly woman who was standing on his porch beaming at him.

She laughed. "Daniel!" she said as she gave him a brief, affectionate hug. "Colonel O'Neill called me and told me you had come back. I'm so glad he did! I've missed you."

Daniel blinked at her in surprise. Not only had he not been expecting to see her again anytime soon, he also hadn't thought she would actually have _missed_ him while he was on Abydos. "Uh... please, come in," he said, finally remembering his manners. "It's freezing out there."

"Who is there, Danyel?"

Catherine gave Daniel a sly look as she stepped inside. "I could ask the same question," she said.

Daniel laughed and helped her out of her coat. "Come on, I'll introduce you," he said. He threw her coat over one of the boxes and led her over to the couch.

Sha're was still lying there under the blanket, but she was now wide-awake. When Daniel came into her line of sight with a strange woman by his side, she sat up and smiled shyly at her.

"Catherine, this is my wife, Sha're. Sha're, this is Catherine Langford, the woman who first introduced me to the Stargate program."

Sha're's jaw dropped at this introduction, and she struggled to her feet despite her bulging belly. "You were the one who brought Danyel to me?" she asked in awe.

Catherine glanced at Daniel and then back at Sha're. "Yes, I guess you could say that," she said. "And you're the one who stole Daniel's heart and made him want to abandon all of us poor Earth folk," she added with a wink in Daniel's direction.

Daniel grinned, but Sha're looked stricken. "I am sorry, I..."

"It's okay," Daniel said softly, touching her arm and giving her a reassuring smile. "She's just joking."

Sha're blushed and ducked her head, but she soon lifted it again and laughed. "I must get used to the American sense of humour, Danyel," she said. "Jack O'Neill is always saying things that confuse me as well."

"Well, actually he does that to everyone, so I don't think you need to worry about that," Daniel said, laughing along with her.

Sha're's hand went instinctively to her belly as she laughed, and Catherine's eyes were drawn to it as a result. "I see there will soon be another little Jackson in the world," she said warmly. "When are you due?"

"I believe the baby will come one month from now," Sha're answered, stroking the bulge tenderly.

"Yes, and until then you're supposed to be resting," Daniel chided, helping her back down onto the couch. Once she was settled, he covered her again with the blanket and plumped her cushions to make sure she was warm and comfortable.

"Sweet Danyel," she said, touching his face. "You fuss over me as though I were a queen."

"Aren't you?" he teased. He kissed her cheek and then turned back to Catherine. "Are you able to stay for dinner?" he asked. "I think someone made us some kind of casserole, and someone else baked an apple pie. To be honest, I think it's more than we'll be able to eat between the two of us."

"Three of us, Danyel."

Daniel grinned. "Yes, three," he agreed.

"I wouldn't mind that at all," Catherine said, "as long as you're offering. It'll give us a chance to catch up."

That was something that Daniel was all too willing to do. He chattered away about his adventures on Abydos while he cleared a spot on the table and hunted out the chairs from under all of the boxes and mess, and then the three of them conversed amiably all through dinner about anything and everything.

By the time they were all full, Catherine and Sha're were more or less the best of friends, and it made Daniel's heart glow with pride as he gazed at his wife's calm and joyful face. As much as he loved keeping Jack, Sam, and Teal'c's company, none of them seemed to bring out this side of Sha're. With them she was always a little reserved and shy, almost as though she thought of them more as Daniel's friends and not her own. He was glad she'd finally found another woman she felt she could talk to.

It was late by the time Catherine left, so Daniel had to help an exhausted Sha're into their brand new bed before she literally collapsed. Then he climbed in beside her and wrapped his arm around her while pulling the blankets up under her chin.

"I like her," she said as she began to drift off to sleep.

"Me, too," Daniel said, nestling his head into the crook of her neck.

"She is the reason we are here."

"Yes, she is."

Sha're was silent for so long then that Daniel thought she had fallen asleep. Soon, however, she spoke again. "She wore the Eye of Ra."

Daniel raised his head to look at her in surprise. "Yes," he said. "She was the one who gave it to me for good luck when I was going to Abydos. I asked Jack to give it back to her when he returned to Earth."

She smiled and reached up a hand to stroke the side of his face. "It did bring you luck. It brought us together."

Daniel smiled, remembering how Kasuf had told him that the misunderstanding that had led to Daniel and Sha're's marriage had begun when he had seen that very pendant. "That wasn't luck," he said. "It was fate."

He leaned down to kiss her, and she sighed contentedly into his mouth. When they parted, he laid his head back down on her pillow and ran his fingers through her hair.

"May I tell you something, Husband?" Sha're asked tentatively after a moment of silence.

"Of course," Daniel said. "You can tell me anything. You know that."

She took a deep breath. "I have been... afraid," she said. "I fear that you will be away from me so much that your heart will turn cold towards me... and that I must raise our child alone."

Daniel sat up and stared down at her, speechless. Had he been giving her the impression that he was growing cold towards her? How could she think he would just abandon her?

"I am sorry, Danyel," she said quickly. "I have upset you. I did not mean..."

"Sha're," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. How could you think that?"

"You are back with your people, and they are all so intelligent and strong just like you. I am just a simple girl next to them."

"No, you're not," Daniel argued. "If you were born and raised here and had the opportunities for education that all of these people had, you would be on a level with them intellectually, if not _above_ them. You're smarter and stronger than any woman I know, Sha're. You knew how to read when none of the rest of your people could. You soak up knowledge like a sponge, and I..." He stopped talking when he realized that she was crying. "What's wrong?" he asked anxiously, laying his hand on her arm.

"You are too good to me, Husband," she said, trying to smile through her tears. "If you keep talking like that I will become proud."

Daniel laughed and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Sha're," he said. "Never doubt that, not even for a second. I know you miss your home and your family, but you're not in this alone, okay? I'm right here. I'll make sure that even when I'm at work there will be someone close by who can help you if you need it. Okay?"

She nodded and wiped her eyes. "I think this is what Dr. Warner called... hormones?"

Daniel grinned. "Probably. You're also tired. Get some sleep."

They settled back into their regular sleeping positions - Daniel's arm around her and Sha're's cheek resting on the top of his head - and soon they were both fast asleep.

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

**Longing For Home - Chapter 3**

"Catherine," Sha're said in relief as she opened the door to her friend. "I am so relieved you are here!"

As soon as Catherine entered the house, she wrapped her arms around Sha're comfortingly. "Don't worry, dear," she said. "I'm sure everything's going to be fine."

Sha're bit back the tears she had been fighting all day. "All the message said was that the base is under quarantine because of a contagion," she said as Catherine released her. "I do not know whether Danyel is well or if he is..." She could not finish her sentence. Thinking of anything other than that he was well was just too much for her to handle.

"Come on, let's get you back into bed," Catherine said, gently taking Sha're's arm and guiding her towards her bedroom.

Sha're allowed herself to be helped into bed, relieved that she did not have to suffer through her anxiety for her husband's well-being alone anymore. The baby's birth might come at any time, and Daniel was supposed to be with her. She was so afraid that something would happen to him before he even had a chance to hold his own child.

At Catherine's caring instructions, Sha're tried to put such thoughts out of her mind and allow herself to relax, but it was a difficult thing to do. She just wished she knew for certain what was happening to her husband. If he was ill, she felt she could deal with it better if she only _knew_.

Catherine insisted she stay in bed for the rest of the day, waiting on her hand and foot so she did not have to lift so much as a finger while they waited for word on the situation at the SGC. Hours passed, and no word came. Sha're was about to go out of her mind when the telephone finally rang.

She wanted to jump out of bed and rush into the other room to answer it, but she knew that Catherine would not approve. She heard the older woman answer it and talk quietly to whomever was on the line for a minute or two. Waiting for her to hang up and share the news was agony.

Finally, she heard the receiver return to its cradle, and Catherine came into the room with a forced-looking smile on her face. "How are you doing, dear?" she asked.

"Was that Danyel?" Sha're asked anxiously. "Is he alright?"

"That was someone from Stargate Command," Catherine said carefully. "They seem to have found a cure for whatever this disease is, so it won't be long now before the quarantine is lifted."

"And Danyel?"

"I'm sure he'll be home soon," Catherine assured her. She patted Sha're's arm and then turned to leave. "Just rest now," she said. "I'll be bringing you something to eat in a few minutes."

"I am not hungry," Sha're said, almost choking on the lump of dread that had risen in her throat. "I wish to speak to my husband. When can I do so?"

"Soon," Catherine said, her light tone obviously covering her own worries. "Not tonight, but I'll ask tomorrow."

"He was ill, then," Sha're said, trying hard to understand what was going on.

"I think so," Catherine replied. "The doctor didn't really get into specifics. Get some rest."

This was easier said than done. How could she rest when Catherine was clearly hiding something from her? Still, she did manage to sit quietly in bed for the next hour, choke down some food when Catherine brought it to her, and then suffer silently through the sleepless night as she worried and fretted over what was going on at the base.

Early the next morning, Sha're was jerked out of a doze by the ringing of the telephone. It rang three times before she heard Catherine answer it. Sha're held her breath as she waited to be informed of what the phone call was about.

She did not have long to wait. Catherine soon tapped on the door, and at Sha're's call of, "Enter," she stepped into the room.

"Daniel is on the phone," she said. "He wants to speak to you."

Sha're threw back her covers and tried to get out of bed as quickly as possible, but thankfully Catherine helped her and prevented her from toppling over once she was on her feet. It took much too long to get to the living room, but once Sha're was there and settled on the couch, Catherine handed her the receiver and then disappeared into the kitchen.

"Danyel?" Sha're said, hardly daring to believe she would hear his voice in reply.

"Hey, sweetheart. Are you okay?"

Sha're's anxiety melted away at the sound of her husband's tinny voice. "I am well, Husband," she said, smiling brightly at the selflessness of his question. "I have been concerned about you. Are you well? What has happened?"

"Uh..." Daniel sighed. Sha're could hear worry and exhaustion in his own voice. "We had a bit of a situation here for a while, but it's all under control now," he finally said. "It's sort of hard to explain, and I don't really think I should over the phone, but I'll tell you all about it when I get home, okay?"

"When will that be?"

"I'm not sure," Daniel said, his voice suddenly becoming quiet, as though he were trying not to be overheard. "I plan on asking the doctor to release me tonight, but I don't know whether she'll go for it or not."

"Release you? Then you were ill?"

"Yeah," he said, sounding almost annoyed. "I was ill. I've got a few... injuries, too. Listen, I've gotta go, but I'll talk to you later on, okay?"

Sha're was confused by his abrupt change of mood, and was about to reply when she heard a woman's voice in the background.

"Dr. Jackson, you are not supposed to be out here."

"I just had to call my wife," she heard him protest. "She's pregnant... due any day. I'll go back to bed in a second."

"One minute to wrap it up," the woman said.

"Okay." There was a pause, and then Daniel spoke to Sha're again. "Sorry about that," he said, sounding weary. "That was our new doctor. She seems to think I'll fall apart if I'm not in bed or something."

"Then you must go, Danyel," Sha're said firmly.

"Ganging up on me now, are you?"

Sha're smiled at the hint of humour in his tone. "If I must obey doctor's orders and rest, then so must you."

"You've got a point," he conceded. "I promise I'll talk to you again tonight, though, okay? Either in person or over the phone."

"I shall look forward to that."

"Me, too. I love you."

"I love you, Danyel."

"Bye."

"Goodbye." She hung up the phone when she heard the click from Daniel's end of the line. She knew that meant he had hung up and was now on his way back to bed. She must do the same.

That day was much easier to bear than the previous day had been. Knowing that Daniel was well and safe and being taken care of by the best doctors on Earth made it feel like a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She didn't even have to fight to get her meals down when Catherine brought them to her.

It was dark by the time the telephone rang again. Catherine took the call, and soon came to Sha're's room to tell her that Daniel was coming home. Sha're insisted on being allowed to wait for him in the living room, as she wanted to be there as soon as he walked through the door. Catherine agreed, and the two of them sat together as they listened attentively for the sound of a car pulling up to the house.

Sha're had only been living on Earth for a few weeks, but she already knew each of the vehicles that came to her home by sound. Daniel's car was quiet, but always made a shuddery sound as it turned off. Samantha Carter's car made a funny purring sound. Jack O'Neill's truck was louder than the others, but not overwhelmingly so. Catherine was usually driven to their home in a long car that made hardly any noise at all.

It was Jack O'Neill's truck that she heard about half an hour after the call. This puzzled her, as she knew that Daniel had taken his car to work the other day. By the time Catherine had helped her to her feet, they could hear footsteps on the porch and a key rattling in the lock. Catherine hurried to open the door, and stepped aside as Daniel and Jack O'Neill came in.

The first thing Sha're noticed was that Daniel was leaning on Jack O'Neill's arm, and that he was limping. Then she saw his battered face and her jaw dropped in horror.

"Danyel!" she gasped. "What happened to you?"

"It's a long story," he replied, looking embarrassed at suddenly being fussed over by two worried females. Catherine removed his coat while Sha're took his arm and led him over to the couch, stroking him and making sympathetic noises all the while. "Sha're, you really don't have to look after me," he said. "You shouldn't even be walking around like this."

"I am well, Husband," she said in her firmest tone. "You are not. Look at you. Your poor face!" She sank down beside him on the couch and placed a gentle kiss on a patch of his face that was not bruised.

"I'm fine," Daniel argued. "Right, Jack?"

Sha're followed Daniel's pleading gaze up to Jack O'Neill, who was looking rather amused at the attention his friend was receiving.

"Oh yeah, he's fine," Jack said, though his eyes shone with silent laughter. "Just a couple cracked ribs, a bit of internal bleeding, nothing to worry about."

"The bleeding stopped, thank you," Daniel snapped.

"That does not sound fine," Sha're chided, trying to hide how frightened the words had made her feel.

Daniel turned to her and took her face in his hands. "I'm fine," he said again, looking straight into her eyes in the way that meant he was telling the truth and needed for her to see it. She nodded, and he kissed her forehead tenderly.

"Will you tell me now what happened?" she asked.

Daniel winced at this question, though Sha're was unsure whether it was because of what she asked or because of his injuries. He took a deep breath, and then started relating the strangest tale that Sha're had ever heard. People turning into animals... Jack O'Neill beating Daniel... Daniel being taken by these animal-men and beaten yet again before he finally turned into one of them... the new doctor, Dr. Fraiser, coming up with a cure for the "disease," which ended up being Daniel's allergy medication... SG-1 then rescuing Daniel, curing him and the animal-men, and sending the animal-men home to their families. It all sounded ridiculous, yet he told the story quite seriously, even looking pained by the memory at times.

"And this illness... it is now gone?" Sha're asked once the tale had come to an end.

Daniel nodded, stroking her hair absently as he had done all the time he had been talking. "We all had to be decontaminated before we left the base as a precaution, but yes, it's gone now."

"That is good," she said, sighing and resting her head against Daniel's shoulder.

"Okay, enough of the chit chat," Jack spoke up. "Let's get all injured or otherwise incapacitated parties into bed."

Sha're gave Daniel a confused look, but he just shrugged his shoulders. "Best not to argue," he said, dragging himself to his feet and holding his hand out to help Sha're to stand.

"Ah ah. You... bed," Jack commanded, stepping in between Daniel and Sha're and shooing Daniel away.

"But Jack..."

"No arguing, remember? Go." Jack bent down to help Sha're up as Daniel obediently limped off to the bedroom without another word.

After making a quick trip to the bathroom, Sha're was ushered into her room and into bed. Daniel was already there, being fussed over by Catherine as she brought him a glass of water and pills and tucked him in like a child.

Once Sha're was in bed and had been similarly fussed over by Catherine, Jack and Catherine turned out the light, shut the door, and left Daniel and Sha're alone in the dark. After a long moment passed in silence, she felt Daniel shift position slightly.

"Am I the only one who feels about five years old right now?" he asked.

Sha're laughed and turned her head to look over at him. "That is exactly how I am feeling, yes," she agreed.

She could see Daniel's bright smile even in the darkness as he propped himself up on one elbow and leaned down to kiss her. He soon winced and pulled away, however, and she stroked his arm in concern as he lay down again on his pillow.

"Are you well?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he said. "Just shouldn't bend like that while I've got cracked ribs."

Sha're reached over to turn on the lamp, and after blinking for a moment in the sudden light, she said, "Let me see."

"Are you sure you want to?"

"Yes," she said, pulling herself up into a sitting position and turning back the covers from her husband's torso.

Daniel sighed and lifted his shirt to reveal the sickening assortment of black, blue, and purple bruises that covered the skin underneath.

Sha're gasped and gently stroked his stomach with a feather-light touch. "You must be in so much pain!"

"It's not as bad as it looks," he was quick to say. He pulled his shirt back down and brought the covers back up to his chest. "Now, what about you?"

"Me?" Sha're asked as she laid back down again.

"I showed you mine, now you show me yours. That's the way it works, right?"

Sha're did not understand her husband's obvious attempt at a joke, but she smiled and pushed the covers down past her belly, raising her nightshirt to her chest.

Daniel turned onto his side and lifted himself up to lean over and place a kiss on her bulging stomach. Then he settled himself into a comfortable position with his head on her shoulder and his hand stroking her belly. "You can turn the light out now," he said, sounding as though he were about to fall asleep.

Sha're complied, and soon they were bathed in darkness once again. With Daniel's hand tracing circles across her bulge and Jack and Catherine's quiet voices drifting into the room from somewhere nearby, Sha're started to drift off to sleep.

"Are you still awake?" Daniel asked a few minutes later.

"Yes," Sha're half-lied as she tried to bring her mind back into focus. "What is it, Danyel?"

"I... need to tell you something," he said. His voice sounded nervous, which filled Sha're with a sense of foreboding.

"Tell me what?"

"There was... a woman... while I was among the Touched. She was the daughter of one of the men we met while we were in the Land of Light. She contracted the disease just before I did."

Sha're did not like where she felt this confession was heading, but she did not interrupt him.

"One of the symptoms of the disease... was... primal behaviour. Living on instinct. One of the most instinctual of behaviours is... seeking a mate."

Sha're tensed at these words, her blood seeming to freeze in her veins as her heart felt as though it had stopped beating.

Daniel lifted his head and brought his hand up to touch her face. "No... no, don't worry, Sha're, I didn't... I mean, I almost..." He took a deep breath and then tried again. "I didn't do anything with this woman, Sha're. Jack, Sam, and Teal'c got there just in time, I think. I was... I was trying... but she kept shunning me. Playing hard to get, as they say. Thank God she did."

"If you did nothing, then why are you telling me?" Sha're asked, not quite believing his assurances.

"Well... partly because Jack was making jokes about it, and I was a bit afraid that you would overhear and think the worst. But also... afterwards, when we were ourselves again, she remembered what had happened. She wanted to thank me, and she, uh... she kissed me."

This did not set Sha're's mind at ease. "I see."

"I told her I was married, Sha're. I just... I'm... I'm ashamed of what I did, or tried to do, and I just felt like I should tell you about it. I want to be completely honest with you. No secrets... ever."

Tears sprang to Sha're's eyes when she heard his voice break with emotion. "Thank you, Danyel."

"Do you forgive me?"

She smiled and stroked his hair. "Of course I forgive you," she said.

Daniel's relief was so complete that she could feel it wash over him at her words. "I love you," he said, kissing her forehead and taking to stroking her belly again.

"Just do not let it happen again," she said in a stern tone.

Daniel froze for a moment, searching her face in the darkness to see if she really was angry.

She remained silent for a few seconds, making him suffer for as long as she dared, before she allowed a smile to break out onto her face.

Daniel let out a deep breath and shook his head. "You can be cruel," he teased, laying his head back down on her shoulder and drawing the covers up to her chest.

Sha're laughed. She was so thankful that she could trust in her husband's love for her. This conversation had affirmed that for her as nothing else had done previously. If Daniel became this contrite over simply making an advance on another woman while suffering from an alien illness, then he really did love her and want to be only with her. This knowledge warmed her heart and sent her off into a deep sleep filled with many pleasant dreams.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Daniel took a week off after the Neanderthal incident, hoping that not only would his injuries heal in that time, but also that Sha're would have the baby. When five days went by and neither had come to pass, however, he started to feel a little worried.

He lay awake that night, watching Sha're as she slept and fretting over whether or not to request more time off. As much as he wanted to stay with Sha're and help her through the rest of her pregnancy and the first few milestones of parenthood, he was anxious to get back to work. He had originally joined SG-1 in the hopes of finding Skaara, but he had soon found that he was actually starting to enjoy the adventures they had. He got to see up close and personal all of these ancient cultures he'd only ever read about before, interact with the people, ask them questions that modern man have been pondering for centuries, and bring back all kinds of new knowledge and artifacts. What anthropologist or archaeologist wouldn't jump at that chance?

This was his dream job, yet at the same time, Sha're and their soon-to-be-born child were the family he had been longing for his entire life. If he had to choose one over the other, he would most certainly choose Sha're, but he hoped and prayed he would never be faced with that decision.

Still, as hard as he was hoping and praying, he knew it was inevitable. He could see how much Sha're missed her home and her family, and he knew that as soon as the year was up and the Abydos gate was opened again, he would either be taking or sending her through it. Part of him was just hoping that by then it would be easier to say goodbye to his friends and his life on Earth than he was anticipating.

After about three hours of watching her and worrying about what was to come, Daniel finally realized how ridiculous the whole thing was and resolved to put those thoughts aside and get some sleep. He squirmed closer to Sha're, draped his arm over her middle - or as close to her middle as her bulging belly would allow - and tried to get comfortable.

No sooner had he done this, however, than Sha're jerked awake with a sharp gasp.

Daniel bolted upright, the pain in his ribs at the sudden action barely even registering in his mind over the fear that he had hurt his wife somehow. "Sha're?" he said anxiously. "Are you alright?"

Sha're's eyes were wide open as she clutched at her stomach and took short, shallow breaths. "The baby," she said, her voice sounding strained. "I think it is time."

Daniel wasn't sure what he should do after hearing these words, so he just froze. Baby? Time? Oh God...

"Um..." He racked his brains trying to remember what the procedure was, but his mind was completely blank. "I... this is the first contraction, right?" he finally managed to say.

Sha're nodded and relaxed against her pillow as the contraction came to an end.

"Okay," Daniel said, reaching for his clock. "We need to time them. That's what the doctor said, right?"

"Yes."

Daniel laid his hand on his wife's forehead, concerned by how weary she looked. "Are you okay? Because if you're not doing too well, I'd better get you to the hospital now instead of waiting."

"I am fine," she assured him, groping in the dark for his other hand and giving it a squeeze once she found it. "I just did not realize it would hurt so much."

Daniel smiled sympathetically and kissed her cheek. "Will you be okay while I go make a phone call?"

Sha're nodded, so Daniel got out of bed, hastily dressed, and went into the other room to call Jack. They had already arranged it that Jack would contact Sam, Teal'c, and Catherine when Sha're went into labour so that they could all be there at the hospital when the baby was born. Daniel felt bad about waking him up in the middle of the night, but Jack had insisted on it and wasn't upset at the interruption to his sleep.

Once he'd informed Jack of what was going on, Daniel hung up the phone, grabbed a glass of water for Sha're, and returned to the bedroom just in time for her next contraction. He glanced at the clock as he sat down beside her and took her hand. Her iron grip took him by surprise for a moment, but once the contraction ended the pressure released. "Seven minutes," he said, brushing the damp hair back from her face. "I think we should probably be on our way."

Sha're nodded, panting hard to regain her breath.

"I'll go phone the hospital, let them know we're coming. Are you okay?"

"Yes," she said, accepting the glass of water as he held it out to her.

He didn't fully believe her, so he wasted no time in making the phone call and getting back to her side. He continued to move as quickly as his sore ribs would allow while he helped Sha're get ready to go, and by the time her next contraction hit, they were almost ready to head out the door.

Sha're sank down into one of their living room chairs as the pain hit her, and Daniel held her hand until it passed.

"Six minutes," he announced after a glance at his watch. "This is happening pretty fast."

"Is this a bad sign?" Sha're asked, her eyes wide with anxiety.

"No, not bad, exactly," Daniel assured her. "I just don't really want you to have the baby in the car, that's all." He smiled as he said it, but Sha're didn't seem to appreciate his attempt at lightening the mood.

"My water has come," she said quietly. "I have ruined the chair."

Daniel fought back the urge to laugh and helped her to her feet. "We'll get it cleaned up when we get back," he assured her. "Let's go."

Thankfully, they were only in the car long enough for Sha're to have one contraction before they made it to the Air Force Academy Hospital. Once they were inside, everything started to happen so quickly that before he knew it, they were in the delivery room and Sha're was writhing in pain while crushing his hand in a death grip.

Daniel had delivered a baby before and had witnessed the birth of another as a midwife had instructed him on what to do and what not to do for a successful delivery, but the birth of his own child was much more stressful for him than those births had been. Part of that stress was caused by the concerned looks on the doctors' faces as they bustled about the room. The fact that they deemed it necessary for more than one doctor to be there for the birth was worrisome in itself, but to have those doctors then looking as worried as Daniel was feeling... Daniel knew that something was wrong.

"What's going on?" he asked when he finally couldn't stand it any longer.

"The baby is in distress," one of the doctors replied. "We have the situation under control, Mr. Jackson, don't worry. Try to keep your wife as calm as possible."

Daniel could feel all colour draining from his face at the word "distress." That did not sound good. He wished someone were there to keep _him_ calm.

One look into Sha're's eyes, turned black with worry, made his own fears seem insignificant, however. "It's okay," he said, forcing a smile for her benefit. "It'll be over soon."

And it was. Barely a minute later, Sha're was hit with another contraction, and this time the doctor instructed her to push. Daniel nearly went out of his mind with empathy as he watched his wife strain through her pain to bring their child out into the world. He didn't know how she was doing it after going through so much already, but God did it ever make him admire her. No, admire wasn't a strong enough word - he worshipped her.

As soon as the baby came, one doctor whisked it away while another took her place to look after Sha're. Daniel didn't know what to do - the baby had been taken out of his sight, but as much as he wanted to go over there and see what was going on, Sha're still needed him. She was lying there looking absolutely spent.

"Danyel?" she murmured.

Daniel leaned in closer to her and stroked her wet hair lovingly. "You did so good, Sha're," he said, giving her an encouraging smile. "I'm so proud of you."

Sha're smiled faintly in return. "Where is the baby?" she asked.

Daniel looked over at the small crowd that had gathered around the doctor that had absconded with his child, a feeling of dread settling over him at the _silence_. Babies should cry. Babies that didn't cry...

"Why is it taking so long?" Sha're asked, panic entering her voice as she struggled to sit up.

"No, just lie still," Daniel said, restraining her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'll go find out. Just relax and be still."

He did not want to go over there. Every molecule in his body seemed to be trying to pull him backward as he forced himself forward to get a look at his baby, but somehow he made it across the room. The doctors didn't even seem to notice his approach they were so intent on their work, so he went right up to them and peered over their shoulders.

Daniel froze as he got his first glimpse of the tiny form. It was purple. Shouldn't babies be pink? Oh God, the baby wasn't breathing.

He was just about to either panic or faint when a soft choking sound met his ears. The baby was alive! It was struggling to breathe, and the doctors were trying to clear its air passages. Daniel found himself inwardly cheering the baby along, chanting over and over in his mind, _'Breathe for Daddy. Breathe for Daddy. Please, baby, breathe.'_

It felt like hours passed in those few seconds, but when a sudden cry broke the dreaded silence, everything seemed to return to normal in an instant. The baby's indignant screams were music to Daniel's ears. He was so relieved that he almost collapsed on the spot.

"You have a beautiful daughter, Mr. Jackson," the female doctor announced as she turned and finally noticed him standing there.

Daniel's smile must have literally spread from ear to ear. A daughter. He had a daughter. He was a father!

And the baby was pink, not purple any longer. Suddenly, life was very, very good.

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

**Longing For Home - Chapter 4**

Sha're held her breath as she watched Daniel cross the room, look anxiously over the doctors' shoulders, and seem to stiffen in fear. Was the baby not well? Why could she not hear its cry? She had known of many women back on Abydos who had given birth to babies with no life in them at all, but she had felt the baby move just a short time ago. It could not be dead... could it?

Her fears were laid to rest moments later when she heard a sharp cry that was undoubtedly coming from her newborn child. One of the doctors turned to say something to Daniel, and he in turn looked over at Sha're with a bright smile on his face. Sha're finally felt that she could breathe again.

It wasn't long before the female doctor handed Daniel a small bundle, and he slowly walked back over to her bed, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on the little life he held in his arms.

The child was still crying, so as soon as Daniel sat down beside Sha're on the edge of the bed, he smiled and said, "I think she wants her mama."

Sha're's heart soared. "A girl?" she whispered, taking the squirming bundle when Daniel held it out to her.

"She's beautiful," Daniel said, peeling the blanket away from the baby's face with one finger.

Sha're stared down at her child in awe and wonder. She really was beautiful, just as Daniel had said. Her cries were not shrill, but sounded so confused and frightened and angry that it made Sha're feel such overwhelming love and sympathy for her. Her face was bright red, and her tiny lips wore a pretty little pout that reminded Sha're so much of Daniel when things were not going his way. Her little eyes were shut tight, so she could not tell what they looked like, but she could already tell that she took after each of her parents in different ways. She was truly the perfect blend of both of them.

Daniel reached into the blanket and gently freed a tiny little fist. "I've heard lots of people say this, and I guess it's true," he said. "The first thing I want to do is count fingers and toes."

Sha're chuckled. She, too, was anxious to make sure that their baby was healthy and whole, so she understood exactly what he meant. "She is perfect," she declared. She believed it with her whole heart. Whether the baby had ten toes or not, she was their very own child, and she was perfect.

"I agree." Daniel sounded as though he was about to cry, but he covered his emotions by wrapping his arm around his wife's shoulders and kissing her cheek.

Sha're sighed and leaned against him as they both gazed down at their daughter, committing her every move and sound to their memories. "What will we name her?" she asked.

"I think I'll leave that up to you," Daniel replied, giving her a gentle squeeze. "You're the one who did all the hard work."

Sha're pondered this for a moment. She had not been thinking about names during her pregnancy, as she did not yet know whether the child was a boy or a girl. Also, she had been raised to believe that the circumstances surrounding a child's birth should be taken into account when choosing a name. This culture was so different from her own, and she had no idea what traditions there were for name choosing here. "I do not know many American names," she said at last, hoping that her confusion and discomfort were not showing too clearly.

"It doesn't have to be an American name," Daniel assured her. "It can be any name you want. As long as Jack will be able to pronounce it, anyway."

"I want our daughter to fit in here," Sha're insisted. "I want her to have a pretty, American name."

"Okay... well, we do sometimes name babies after people that mean a lot to us. Is there anyone you've met here that you'd like to name her after?"

Sha're did not have to think about this for long before her decision was made. "We shall name her 'Catherine,'" she said.

Daniel smiled and kissed her forehead. "I like that," he said. "Catherine it is."

"Do you not give children two names in your culture?" she asked.

"Usually, yes."

"You may choose the second," Sha're said, hoping he would not insist that she come up with another.

Daniel chewed on the inside of his lip for a moment as he thought, and then he called over to the female doctor who was still standing on the other side of the room writing something down on a piece of paper. "Dr... Stewart?" he called.

The woman turned and stepped towards them. "Yes?"

"May I ask what your first name is?" Daniel said. "We're trying to decide on a middle name for our daughter, and I figure, why not name her after the doctor who saved her life?"

Dr. Stewart beamed. "Alexandra," she said. "And I would be honoured."

"Catherine Alexandra Jackson," Daniel said, letting the name roll slowly off his tongue. "That's a long name for such a tiny little thing."

"It is beautiful," Sha're breathed. "She will grow into it."

Daniel laughed. "Yes, she will," he agreed. "And Jack won't have any problems with it," he added, nudging her gently as emphasis to his little joke.

Sha're smiled and stroked the baby's soft, dark hair as Catherine finally began to calm down after her very first fit of tears. If what she had been told by the women of her village was true, the first few weeks of motherhood would be exhausting and frustrating, but right now she was completely at peace. She made a vow in that moment that she would enjoy her child as much as she could, and love her wholly and unconditionally.

When she looked over at Daniel and saw the love in his eyes as he looked down at their child, she knew he would do the same.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Daniel, she has your pout."

"I do not pout."

"Yes, you do. Look, this is exactly what it looks like."

Daniel opened his mouth to reply, but he knew it was pointless to argue with Jack, so he snapped it shut instead.

"See?" Jack said triumphantly. "You're doing it right now!"

Daniel looked over at Sha're for support, but she was hiding her laughter behind her hand. Or at least, she was trying to.

"Sam?" he implored, turning to the woman who was currently holding baby Catherine.

"Sorry, Daniel," she said. "I think the colonel's got a point."

Last resort... "Teal'c?"

Teal'c bent slightly to get a good look at the baby's face. "She does indeed have your pout, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel threw up his hands in defeat. "Well, at least she's got a good reason to pout, being surrounded by all of you," he said, feigning grumpiness. "Which is exactly what causes my alleged pouts, I'm sure."

"Leave the poor boy alone," Catherine said, stepping closer to Daniel and putting her arm around him. "We're supposed to be helping him celebrate, not teasing the life out of him."

"Thank you, Catherine," Daniel said pointedly, aiming a smirk in Jack's direction.

Jack rolled his eyes. "You know, this could get a bit confusing," he said. "There are two Catherines now. How are we going to know which one people are talking about when they just say the name?"

"You can always call baby Catherine 'Cathy,'" Sam suggested.

Daniel wrinkled his nose as he mulled this over. "I don't think she really looks like a Cathy," he decided.

"Katie?"

Daniel tilted his head from side to side. "Maybe. It's a bit childish, though, don't you think? I mean, I was 'Danny' as a kid, and I had a hell of a time shaking that once I got older."

"True," Sam said. "What about Cate?"

Daniel looked at Sha're for her opinion. "Cate with a C?" he asked.

Sha're smiled faintly and nodded. Daniel realized then that she looked exhausted.

"Okay, everybody, I think visitors' hours are over for now," he said, taking the baby from Sam and gently handing her back to Sha're. "Sha're needs her rest and... Cate... will need to be fed."

Their four friends grumbled and groaned as they were ushered to the door, but they each managed to say their goodbyes to Sha're and Cate before they left the room. Then Daniel, Sha're, and Cate were once again alone.

Daniel stretched himself out on the edge of the bed beside Sha're as she began to feed Cate, stroking his daughter's soft hair and leaning his forehead against his wife's shoulder. It was starting to dawn on him just how much his life was about to change, and he felt strangely at peace about it. Parenthood might be the greatest challenge anyone ever had to face, and he might not have had the best of examples set for him by his parents and foster parents while growing up, but he was determined to do the best job he could at taking care of this little life that had just been placed in his hands. It was the most exhilarating feeling he'd ever had.

This feeling lasted for the next forty-eight hours or so, as he and Sha're settled into their new roles as parents. Sha're spent the first night in the hospital, but soon Daniel was able to take his beautiful girls home, where they would forever be his responsibility. It felt so good to watch his wife caring for their daughter with her gentle, skilled hands.

He helped out as much as she would allow, which meant changing the occasional diaper, helping with the baby's baths, and rocking her to sleep if Sha're was too tired to do it herself. He found out early on, however, that Sha're wanted to handle the majority of Cate's care, which Daniel assumed was because she knew he wouldn't be around much once he went back to work and she wanted to get used to doing it all herself. Still, it hurt a little when she pushed him away from the baby on their second day home when he went to pick her up out of her crib as she cried.

That was the moment his feeling of exhilaration abandoned him, leaving him feeling deflated and confused.

It didn't help that on the day that Daniel returned to work at the SGC, Cate's third day at home, he and Sha're had the first real fight of their entire marriage.

He'd woken up bright and early, hoping to get to the base well before schedule so that he could spend some time catching up on work in his office before his scheduled briefing at 0700, and hadn't wanted to disturb Sha're just to say goodbye. He kissed her forehead before getting out of bed, and then went over to the crib to stand looking down at Cate's sweet face for a minute or two. He tucked her blanket more securely around her and laid his hand softly on her stomach just to feel her breathing. He couldn't believe how good it made him feel.

When he finally managed to tear himself away from his daughter's crib, he took a shower and made himself a quick breakfast, and was just sitting down to eat when he heard Cate start to cry. He knew Sha're would see to it, so he kept on eating and didn't go in to them right away.

Seconds later, a frantic Sha're rushed out of the bedroom and straight past the kitchen to the living room.

"Sha're?" he called, getting up out of his chair and hurrying after her. "What's wrong?"

She spun around to face him as he entered the living room, and Daniel could see that she was clutching the baby protectively to her chest as tears ran down her cheeks.

In that one split second, Daniel's mind threw at him every worst-case scenario it could possibly think up. Cate wasn't crying now, but she had been a second ago. Surely she couldn't be ill or worse when she'd just been sleeping peacefully ten minutes ago?

"I thought you had gone!"

Daniel blinked in confusion. "What?"

"I thought you had left us," Sha're said, her tears still falling as she glared at him.

"Left you?" Daniel repeated in disbelief. "Sha're, I told you I was going back to work this morning. I didn't want to wake you..."

"You would go without kissing your wife and daughter goodbye?" she demanded. "You are so anxious to leave us and return to your friends?"

Daniel's jaw just about hit the floor. "I... no!" he stammered. "I just... you were..."

"Why do you care so little about your child?" she cried through her sobs. "Do you not want to see her grow? You can so easily walk away?"

Daniel couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I'll only be gone for a few hours," he said, throwing his arms out to the sides in frustration. "How is that me walking away?"

Sha're didn't answer, just slumped down onto the couch looking miserable and dejected.

Daniel sighed and squatted down beside her, taking Cate from her as the baby began to cry in fear at her parents' raised voices. He kissed the baby's soft cheek and cradled her in his arms, murmuring soft, soothing words to her as he tried to calm her down.

Sha're watched his every move closely, her tears finally ceasing along with her daughter's. Daniel took the opportunity while both of them were silent to speak.

"I will never leave you," he said quietly but firmly.

Sha're reached up a trembling hand to wipe the tears from her face. "The thought of the dangers you face... it frightens me so," she whispered.

Suddenly, her behaviour of the past few days all seemed to make sense. "That's what this is about, isn't it?" he said. "I came home injured, and you're afraid that next time it'll be worse... that I'll die and leave you here alone."

She looked down at her hands and didn't reply.

"I'm being as careful as I can be, I promise you," he said. "I don't want you to have to raise Cate without me, and I don't want her growing up without a father. There's just no way I can be on SG-1 and look for Skaara without running into danger every now and then."

"Please just go," she said, leaning forward to take the baby out of his arms.

Daniel didn't know what else to say. He didn't understand why Sha're was acting like this. He had never known her to be so unreasonable before. "Catherine will be stopping by later to give you a hand," he said as he rose to his feet. "I'm going to be at the base all day, okay? I don't have any missions scheduled for another week, so... if you need anything, just call me."

Sha're didn't answer or look up at him.

Daniel sighed. "I love you," he said. When there was still no reaction, he bent down and kissed the top of his wife's head. Then he grabbed his coat and left.

As soon as he was out the door, he felt guilty for just leaving her like that. What else could he do? He had been made the head of the archaeology department at the SGC, and that meant work and lots of it. He couldn't afford to spend any more time at home than was absolutely necessary.

Still, maybe looking after his distraught wife and newborn child _was_ absolutely necessary.

He batted these questions around in his mind all day long, finding it hard to concentrate on his work because of it. There just didn't seem to be an easy way out of this situation. Either he would let his wife down, or he would abandon the work he was being relied upon to do. The inner battle he was fighting over it was giving him a headache.

He had to stop by the infirmary that afternoon for a check up, as Dr. Fraiser wanted to make sure his injuries were healing properly, but he was so busy fretting over everything that he completely forgot about his appointment until he was already ten minutes late. He rushed straight to the infirmary as soon as he realized the time, and ran in just in time to see Dr. Fraiser pick up her phone to call down to his office.

"Ah, there you are," she said, sounding anything but amused. "I thought you'd forgotten your appointment."

Daniel shot her a sheepish smile. "Sorry," was all the apology and explanation he was able to give.

She patted one of the cots and started getting her instruments together as he took off his shirt and hopped up onto the bed.

"So, how are mother and baby doing?" she asked as she started her examination.

"The baby's fine," he said, unable to hide the smile that always broke out on his face whenever he thought about his daughter. "She's... she's perfect."

Dr. Fraiser smiled. "What did you call her?"

"Catherine Alexandra," Daniel answered proudly. "Cate for short."

"That's beautiful." She pressed a stethoscope to his chest and said, "Deep breaths."

Daniel obeyed, thankful that he'd made it through the conversation without letting on how miserable they had become.

"So, what about your wife?"

Daniel let his deep breath out in a rush, sagging slightly in disappointment. "Uh... she's doing okay," he said. "A bit emotional, but... she's good."

"That's understandable," Dr. Fraiser said as she moved on to poking and prodding around his rib cage. "A woman's body goes through so many changes throughout the pregnancy and after the birth that sometimes her hormones can be out of whack for a while. Is she having mood swings?"

"Oh yeah. Big ones. She went from fearful to angry to miserable in a matter of seconds this morning."

"Does she seem depressed? Cry for no reason? Cling to the baby and want to do everything for her?"

Daniel gave the doctor an odd look. How did she know? "Yes. I think she's just worried about something happening to me, though. She misses her home and her family."

"It's not uncommon for a woman to go through something like this after having a baby, Dr. Jackson, especially in a case like your wife's where she's been cut off from everyone and everything she knows and doesn't really have the support system new mothers need. The hormones plus the overwhelming feeling of being a fish out of water would make these first few weeks very hard on her, I would imagine. It sounds like she may be suffering from post-partum depression, or perhaps just what they call 'baby blues,' which is a less severe form of the condition."

"What should I do?" Daniel asked anxiously.

Dr. Fraiser smiled and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Just let her know she has your full support; let her know she's not alone in this. Small things like... bringing her some little thing you know she would like when you come home from work, just so she knows you were thinking about her while you were gone... things like that can go a long way to making a woman feel happy and loved. Also, if the depression persists, there are some treatments that can be very beneficial. I'm sure she'll be herself again in no time."

Daniel rubbed his hands nervously against his thighs. "I sure hope so."

"I'd be happy to stop by and talk to her sometime if you like," she offered. "Maybe she has some questions I could answer to put her mind more at ease."

"Would you? That would be great," Daniel said, feeling a great sense of relief at her offer.

"Of course. I've been looking forward to meeting her. I can stop by on my way home from work tomorrow."

Daniel walked out of the infirmary moments later feeling pounds lighter thanks to this conversation. He really had begun to think that Sha're's homesickness was making her ill, but Dr. Fraiser's calm explanation had eased his mind considerably. Now he just had to think of little ways he could show Sha're that he cared.

He made a quick trip to a gift shop after he left work that evening, and it didn't take him long to get what he needed and make his way home. Catherine greeted him as he came through the door. She was putting on her coat and shoes, getting ready to leave.

"They're both asleep," she told him quietly. "I wanted to wait until you came home before I left in case Sha're woke up."

"How has she been?" Daniel asked.

Catherine shook her head. "She keeps bursting into tears over the slightest things. I've been a bit worried. This isn't like her."

Daniel nodded and gave the elderly woman a brief hug. "Thanks, Catherine," he said. "I can take it from here."

Once Catherine had left, Daniel quietly entered the bedroom to find Sha're fast asleep on the bed. He peeked into the crib to check on Cate first, saw that she was sleeping peacefully, and so turned his attention onto Sha're.

He went over and gently sat down beside her, setting the little bundle he'd brought with him from the car down on the foot of the bed. She looked so worn and worried even in her sleep that it broke his heart.

After a little while of just watching her sleep, he leaned down and kissed her cheek, smiling when she sighed and tried to open her eyes. "Hey," he said when she managed to crack one open to look up at him. "I'm home."

"Danyel." She sat up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding him so tight it was almost as though she hadn't seen him in weeks. "I am so sorry that I spoke to you so shamefully," she said, her voice muffled against his shoulder. "Please forgive me."

"Of course I do," Daniel said as he stroked her back in a slow, circular motion. "You've just had a baby, Sha're, and your body is going through a lot of changes. That's all it is."

"I miss my father," she whispered.

Daniel winced in empathy, not at all surprised by her sudden change of subject. "I know you do," he said. "But you've done so well through all of this. I really am proud of you."

"How can you say I am doing well when I cannot stop crying?" she asked as she pulled away from him to wipe the tears from her eyes.

Daniel smiled and brushed away one that she'd missed with his thumb. "It's just because of having the baby," he said. "Dr. Fraiser called it 'baby blues.' She'd like to come over tomorrow and talk to you about it, if it's okay with you."

Sha're nodded and then took a deep breath. "I should get you your supper," she said, turning as if to get off of the bed.

Daniel stopped her. "You don't have to do that," he said. "You're exhausted. You should rest." Before she could argue, he reached for the items he had left at the foot of the bed. "Here, I brought you something," he said.

Sha're gasped as he held out a single red rose. "Oh, Danyel, it is lovely," she said, taking it from him and holding it to her nose. "Thank you."

Daniel smiled, thankful his little gift had gone over well. "There's something else, too," he said. He scooted up further onto the bed so he was sitting with his back against the headboard and held his arm out for Sha're to snuggle up next to him. Then he showed her the little pink book he'd bought.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's a sort of record book, where we can keep track of everything that Cate does as she grows up. Her first laugh, her first tooth, her first step... there's a place for all of it. Look, there are even places you can put things like a lock of her baby hair or the first tooth she loses as she gets a little older. And every year we can add a new picture of her to see how she changes and grows."

Sha're was silent as she leafed through the pages of the book, but Daniel could tell by the look in her eyes that she loved it.

He gave her a loving squeeze and kissed her hair. They were going to be okay.

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

**Longing For Home - Chapter 5**

Sha're clutched three-month-old Cate as though the child was the only thing helping her to keep her sanity. She truly believed that she was, in fact. If she did not have to be strong for Cate, she would have crumbled the moment those Air Force officers had appeared at her door with a letter from General Hammond.

As the man beside the ramp began to play a mournful song on the instrument he was holding, and others came into the gateroom carrying a large flag, Sha're found she could no longer watch. Up until that point, she had felt as though this entire situation was just a terrible dream that would soon come to an end. Now, standing here through this memorial service, it was starting to seem all too real.

Daniel was gone. He had been burned to ashes on an alien world.

It confused her more than made her angry or grieved. She could not get rid of the feeling that it was all just a lie. If she had seen his lifeless body with her own eyes, she would not have questioned it, but there had been no body to see. That did not seem right. It did not _feel_ as though Daniel was dead.

She felt a gentle hand on her back, and looked to her side to see Janet Fraiser holding her arms out for the baby. Sha're did not understand the military tradition of handing the folded flag to the deceased's "next of kin," but she did not question it. She handed the baby to Janet and held her hands out for the flag, giving the officer a respectful nod as she held it to her chest.

Her arms ached until she could once again hold her child, and by then the memorial was over. Daniel had been laid to rest, and now she had to continue on with her life without him. The thought of that was too horrible for words. If he really was gone, this was her worst fear coming true.

The hardest part was trying to get through what Jack O'Neill called "the wake" without bursting into tears and running out of the colonel's home. Everyone was being so kind, but that only made things harder somehow.

Catherine and Ernest took her and Cate back to their large home afterwards, where she intended to stay until her head cleared enough that she could handle going back to the house to pack her things. She would not be staying on Earth now that Daniel was not there. Once the Abydonian year was over, she and her child would return home, and until then they would be staying with Catherine. The little house Daniel had bought for them held too many painful memories now.

She spent the rest of the evening, through the night, and the majority of the next day lying in bed with her eyes fixed upon the wall, lost in memories of how happy she and her husband had been on Abydos. They had even started to feel happy here on Earth, now that they had their beautiful baby girl. All of that was gone now.

Though Cate was not gone. Every now and then, the baby would coo or cry, and Sha're would scoop her up from where she lay beside her on the bed and either feed her or change her. Then she would lay her down again and fall back into her silent trance.

She knew that Catherine came in frequently to check on her, and she sometimes left food or water behind on the table by Sha're's bed. She did not feel like eating, but as she fed Cate she would take a drink, knowing she must stay hydrated in order to create the milk her baby needed.

It was late in the afternoon before she emerged from her room, carrying her sleeping daughter with her. She made her way down the stairs with trembling legs, and found Catherine and Ernest talking quietly in the front room. She slipped into the room and sat down next to Catherine on the couch, where the older woman slipped her arm around Sha're's shoulders and held her close. She did not feel like talking, so she was grateful that they did not force her to. She just did not wish to be alone any longer.

Catherine did manage to convince her to eat something at mealtime, but Sha're had difficulty swallowing it down past the lump in her throat. She did not eat much, but it felt heavy in her stomach afterwards. As soon as it became dark outside, she excused herself and climbed the stairs again to return to bed.

She lay there anticipating another night of wakeful loneliness, staring up at the ceiling and trying not to think of how it felt when Daniel lay beside her. She thought for sure that would be the way she would spend every night from now on.

Fortunately, she was wrong.

It was not quite nine o'clock when she heard rapid footsteps on the stairs.

"Sha're!" she heard Catherine's voice call. "Sha're!" The woman burst into Sha're's room then, startling the baby awake and causing Sha're to sit up in surprise.

"What is it?"

"He's alive! By God, he's alive!"

Sha're felt she should have been surprised by this announcement, but she wasn't. Filled with joy to overflowing, yes, but somehow, part of her had known all along that it could not be true that Daniel was dead.

She took Cate into her arms and followed Catherine out of the room and back down the stairs, where Ernest was talking excitedly into the telephone. He turned around to look at her when Sha're came into the room, and said, "She's here now. I'll pass you over."

Sha're grabbed the phone excitedly when he offered it to her. "Danyel?"

"Sha're," said the wonderfully familiar voice. "God, it's good to hear your voice. Are you alright? You must have been terrified."

She held a hand to her mouth as he spoke, unable to speak and trying not to cry.

"Sha're? Are you there?"

A joyful laugh escaped her lips at the same time as a tear made its way down her cheek. "I am here, Husband," she said. "I am just so happy you are alive!"

Daniel laughed. "Me, too!"

"Will you be home soon? I must see you," Sha're said, every inch of her screaming to hold him again.

"Just as soon as I'm checked over and cleared by Dr. Fraiser," he said. "That shouldn't take long. I'll be there with you before you know it."

Sha're could barely hold her feet on the ground for the next few hours as she awaited her husband's return. She kept wondering whether she was dreaming, but somehow this felt more real than the past few days had seemed.

It was late at night before Daniel's car pulled into the house's long driveway, but Sha're did not care. She ran out of the door, all the way down the steps, and over to his car.

He jumped out of the vehicle as soon as it came to a stop, and opened his arms just in time to catch her as she flew at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He laughed as she covered his face in kisses until he finally had to stop her by taking her face in his hands.

"I missed you, too," he said. Then he turned serious. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this, Sha're. SG-1 were given the memory of my death by..."

"It does not matter now," she said, holding a finger to his mouth to silence him. "Just hold me and do not let me go."

Daniel seemed only too happy to oblige her request. They stood there in each other's arms for what seemed like forever, until a tiny cry coming from the house grabbed their attention. Even as they walked back inside and for the following hour as he held Cate, talked with Catherine and Ernest, and told the story of his terrible ordeal, he kept contact of some kind with Sha're - his arm around her waist or his hand linked with hers, whichever was more convenient.

Sha're could not keep her eyes off of her husband's face, taking note of every line of his skin and every move he made as though she were seeing him for the first time. Every now and then her joy would become too much for her to contain, and she would lean her head on his shoulder or kiss his face just so she could feel him, smell him, and taste him to know that he was real.

It was morning by the time they collapsed into bed, and even though she wanted nothing more than to hold him and make love to him, they were both much too tired. She contented herself with laying her head on his chest and her hand over his heart, letting his steady heartbeat lull her to sleep.

He was alive.

"I love you," he said as he stroked her face.

Sha're was seconds away from falling asleep, but at his words she smiled. "I love you, Danyel."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Daniel cradled his sleeping baby in his arms as he watched Sha're kneel down to pick up a handful of sand and let it sift through her fingers. She was in heaven, and that in itself was enough to put him there, too.

"It is so much like Abydos," she said almost breathlessly. "The feel of the sand, the heat in the air, the sights and smells..."

"Now you see why I felt so at home there," Daniel said with a smile. "I spent the best part of my childhood here in Egypt."

She stood up and linked her arm with his as they began walking again. "Thank you for bringing me here, Danyel," she said. "You do not know how much I have missed this."

Daniel swallowed hard and gave her arm a brief squeeze against his side. He did know how much she missed her home, and that was exactly why he had brought her out here. It wasn't for anything related to his work as he had claimed. In fact, after the incident of being kidnapped and presumed dead a week earlier, he had begged for some time off in order to be with his family and help his wife recover from the grief she had been put through.

The truth was, even though being kidnapped by Nem wasn't his fault, he felt horribly guilty about it. It had taken Sha're a month or so after Cate's birth to finally relax and trust that everything was going to be okay, and for the next couple of months they had been quite happy. When SG-1 had found Ernest abandoned on another world and brought him home to his former fiancée, Catherine, the four of them began to spend a lot of time together, Catherine and Ernest acting as grandparents to little Cate and doting on her. For a little while, it had seemed as though everything was settling into a routine that they could all enjoy.

Unfortunately, Daniel's supposed death had dredged up all of the old insecurities and fears for Sha're, though she was obviously trying not to let it show. Daniel knew her well enough to be able to see through the façade at how sad and lonely she was feeling again. He desperately wanted to do something for her beyond the small trinkets he often brought home.

Then one day it hit him. Even though it was now late June, the Colorado summer was nothing like Sha're was used to on Abydos. Egypt was as close as Earth could get, so Egypt she must see.

General Hammond had pulled some strings for him and got the three of them on a flight to Cairo right away. Sha're was confused at first, as everyone around her was speaking a language she didn't understand, but as soon as she saw the pyramids looming in the distance, the sparkle in her eyes that had disappeared the day she had left behind everything she knew finally returned.

He took her everywhere he could during the four days they were there, but Sha're averred that her favourite place to be was out in the desert with no one around but the three of them. The buildings and sites were nothing like those on Abydos, but the sand... it was as though Ra had taken the sand of Egypt to that other world as well as the people. For those few moments she could pretend that they were still there, she and Daniel and their child, living happily among her family and friends.

Daniel had to admit that he felt the same way.

As for Cate, she really was her father's child. She was silent for the majority of the trip, taking in everything around her with wide, curious blue eyes. Everyone they passed while in Egypt, in the airports, and on the plane commented on what a beautiful baby she was, and it made Daniel positively glow with pride. He'd thought that from the moment she was born, and he was glad other people were sitting up and taking notice. She had her mother's dark skin and hair, but her eyes were just like Daniel's. The contrast between her dark skin and pale blue eyes made her quite the beauty indeed.

Daniel had been a bit concerned that she wouldn't take well to travelling, but she actually seemed to enjoy it. Even the sudden warmth of the desert sun didn't bother the child. If anyone looking at her didn't know better, they would have thought she'd been born there.

They were all sorry to leave, but Sha're didn't complain. She smuggled a few grains of the sand to add to Cate's baby book, and seemed content with that. It was as though their little trip really had lifted the cloud that had hung over her head for the past while, and given her the strength to return to her American life with a light heart.

Once they were home again, Daniel spent the next couple of days lazing around the house, playing with Cate, talking with Sha're, and just having a good, relaxing time with his family. He and Sha're took great care over writing about Cate's first trip away from home in the little pink book, adding the pinch of Egyptian sand as a memento of her little adventure. It felt so good to be doing something so trivial and yet so special, with no thought of the Goa'uld or saving the world.

Well, almost no thought of it. The day after they arrived back in the States, Daniel got a phone call from Jack to say that they'd had an incident at the SGC while he was gone, with a Goa'uld named Hathor. Daniel got a chill when he heard all of what had gone on, knowing that he had narrowly missed being caught up in the whole mess himself.

Once he got off the phone, he went to Sha're and gave her a warm embrace, knowing how much she would have worried about him if he'd been there for Hathor's visit. It hit him then just how much he needed her when things like this happened. He honestly didn't know what he would do without having her there to talk to about everything that went on, to comfort him when it got a little too much even for him to handle, and to bring him back down to Earth when everything started to seem so surreal. She and Cate were his lifeline - his reason for living.

In that moment, he decided for once and for all - once the Abydos gate was opened again, if Sha're wished to return to her home world, all three of them would be going through. He trusted Jack, Sam, and Teal'c to continue the search for Skaara, so even if they hadn't found him by that time, there was still hope that they would.

He wanted to take his family home.

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

**Longing For Home - Chapter 6**

Sha're found it ironic that Cate chose that day to say "dada" for the first time.

"We will see Daddy soon," she whispered into the girl's ear as she waited for the Stargate to finish dialling. She held onto her daughter tight while clutching Daniel's note in her fist, not wanting to admit to herself that it might be the last communication she would ever receive from him.

_"I'm sorry, Sha're, but I had to do this. After seeing what the Goa'uld were capable of doing to Earth in that alternate reality, I couldn't just stand by and watch it happen here. There is a good chance that I won't be coming back this time, but I want you to know that I never abandoned you. I'm doing this for you and Cate, to protect you from the horrible things I saw the people of that other Earth experiencing. I love you - both of you - so very, very much. Please give Cate a kiss for me, and make sure she always knows how proud I am of her._

Yours always,  
Daniel

P.S. Please give General Hammond my humble apologies for defying his orders, and tell him that if something goes wrong and the Goa'uld do attack Earth, I beg of him to grant me one final request - to allow you and Cate to be included in any evacuation plans that are made. Had I been on Earth, I'm sure I would have been on the evacuee list. I'd like the two of you to go in my place. That way you can still return to Abydos someday.

Always remember that I love you.  
D."

She had shown the note to General Hammond immediately, and his initial anger over SG-1's blatant disregard for their orders had melted away. A few hours later, the Goa'uld ships had appeared, and the SGC began to send people through to the Alpha site. Sha're and Cate were allowed to go along with all of the other evacuees. Sha're could not remember ever being so frightened in all of her life, but she somehow managed to hold herself together for the baby's sake.

Cate watched in fascination as the Stargate activated, shooting out a spiral of fake water before what Daniel called the "event horizon" appeared. She did not seem to be afraid of it, nor of the crowd of people that were gathered around them, but Sha're was sure the ride through the gate would be another matter. She tucked the baby's blanket up around her head as she stepped into it, hoping that would make the ride easier for the child to bear.

Once they arrived on the other side, Sha're took a quick look around to get a feel for her surroundings. Cate began to whimper as she did so, which earned a few concerned looks from the people around her, but Sha're just smiled reassuringly at them as she soothed her child and moved along. She did not want to talk to anyone just yet. She just wanted to find a quiet corner to sit and wait for word of her husband's fate.

Major Ferretti, however, had other ideas.

"Mrs. Jackson?" he called as he rushed to her side. "Here, let me help you inside."

She had no choice but to allow him to escort her into one of the hastily constructed buildings that had been set up not far from the Stargate. He led her straight to one of the empty cots inside and helped her sit down. She nodded her thanks to him, but instead of going on his way, he sat down beside her.

"Is there anything I can get for you?" he asked. "Or... for the baby?"

"No, thank you. We are fine."

"Okay." He looked down at his hands, obviously wanting to say something more but not knowing how. Then he looked up again and said hesitantly, "I... I feel bad about... what's happening. My team and I were ready to go through the gate after SG-1, but we couldn't get a lock on the planet they'd gated to. I just... want you to know we did everything we could to bring them back."

Sha're could feel tears stinging her eyes, but she did not allow them to fall. She took a deep breath and forced a slight smile. "I do not doubt that you did, Major," she said. "My husband made his choice. I would not blame another for the consequences."

That seemed to ease the man's mind a little. "Thanks," he said as he rose to his feet. "Just let me know if you need anything, alright? You probably don't know many of the people around here, but most of them know me, so you can always send someone for me if I'm not around."

"I will. Thank you."

Sha're sighed as the man walked away. Then she turned her attention back to Cate, who was still fussing a bit and sucking fretfully on her fingers. Sha're leaned back against the wall beside the cot and began to feed her, draping the blanket over the baby and herself in order to give them privacy and hopefully drown out the strange noises that were making Cate nervous.

It seemed to work - Cate fed well and then fell asleep. Sha're sat there for a while rocking her gently from side to side, trying not to notice that the other people in the room kept sending sympathetic glances her way. After a while, though, it became too much for her to bear. She rested her sleeping child against her shoulder, got up from the cot, and left the building.

The Stargate had just shut down after bringing yet another group of people through to this planet as she stepped outside. She did not recognize any of the faces that were passing her as they made their way into the buildings, until she felt a hand brush against her arm.

"How are you and Cate doing?" Janet Fraiser asked kindly.

"We are fine," Sha're said, stroking the baby's hair as she fidgeted in her sleep. "Has there been any word from SG-1?"

"Not that I've heard," Janet replied. "But that doesn't mean their mission was a failure. I've learned by now that those four can work miracles if they try."

Sha're smiled, knowing that what Janet said was true. "Thank you, Janet. I have not yet lost hope." She looked around then and asked, "Did they allow you to bring Cassandra?"

"Yes, thank God," Janet said, pointing over her shoulder to where Cassie was sitting just outside one of the buildings, talking to one of the female officers. "Hopefully it won't be necessary anyway, but I can't imagine how I would have felt if I'd come without her. Still, that's exactly what most of the people here are going through right now."

Sha're nodded gravely and looked around at the solemn faces surrounding her. She could not imagine having to come without her baby, either. Suddenly this whole situation seemed ten times more horrible.

"I have to go set up my new medical bay," Janet said as she inched towards the door, "but don't hesitate to come to me if you need to talk about... anything."

"I appreciate that. Thank you," Sha're said with a slight bow of her head.

As Janet disappeared inside, Sha're's attention was drawn back to the Stargate. It had begun to activate again. She wasn't sure how many groups were left to come through, but she could only guess by the amount of people that were there already that the evacuation was almost complete.

She stayed well out of the way as some of the men stepped towards the gate with their guns ready. She was expecting another crowd of people to flood through, but to her surprise, a single figure practically flew through the gate just before the power surged and it shut down.

There was quite a commotion as the officers swarmed around the man and checked to see if he was injured. She could barely see him as he sat up and seemed to be rubbing his head and talking to the men, but she felt a strange curiosity overtake her and pull her closer to the small crowd to see what was going on.

As she came within a few feet of them, one of the men turned and saw her there. He said something and stepped to the side, and a few of the other men followed his lead.

Sha're gasped as she finally saw the newcomer's face. "Danyel!"

Daniel grinned and got to his feet. "It's okay, Sha're," he said. "It's all over. The Goa'uld ships have been destroyed."

Sha're was so relieved she could not speak, but she did not have to. Daniel stepped towards her and enveloped both her and the baby in a gentle hug, and they stood there in silence until Cate began to squirm and protest her sudden confinement between her parents' bodies.

Daniel laughed and took her out of Sha're's arms. "Hey, Kitten," he said, using the pet name that always made Sha're smile affectionately whenever she heard it.

"Dada," Cate greeted him in turn, amid a lot of unintelligible baby talk.

Daniel gaped at Sha're as though to see if she had heard what he had. "She said 'dada!'" he exclaimed.

Sha're smiled and nodded, clasping her hands in joy at the look on his face. He really did adore his daughter, and it did Sha're's heart such good to see it. "She has missed you," she said.

Daniel cuddled his daughter close. "I missed you, too, baby girl," he whispered.

Their moment was soon interrupted by a loud voice calling, "Daniel? Where the hell did you come from?"

Sha're and Daniel both turned to see Major Ferretti heading their way. "Ferretti," Daniel greeted him. "One of the ships in orbit had a Stargate on board. I used it to gate here just before they exploded."

"Exploded?" Ferretti repeated in disbelief.

Daniel smiled. "Exploded. I don't know yet what kind of damage was done, but at the very least they must have been completely disabled." After giving his daughter one last cuddle and a kiss, Daniel reluctantly handed her back to Sha're. "I have to get back to Earth and let them know what's going on," he said. "Once we're sure the coast is clear, everyone here will be free to return through the gate."

Ferretti finally seemed to regain his voice, and he clapped Daniel on the shoulder as he said, "That's great news, Daniel. Great work. I'll spread the word here."

"Thanks," Daniel said. "It shouldn't take long." He kissed Sha're's forehead and turned to go. "I'll see you soon," he promised. Then he trotted off to the gate and, after dialling Earth and using one of the other men's GDO's to open the iris, he vanished into the event horizon.

True to his word, Daniel returned through the gate a few minutes later with a slightly less exuberant attitude but with the best news they had heard in a long time - Apophis was dead, and they could all go home without fear. A loud cheer went up from the crowd that had gathered around the Stargate waiting to hear this announcement. Sha're felt sorry for Major Ferretti as he tried to get everyone back under control in order to organize their mass exodus from the Alpha site.

Sha're did not understand until they returned to Earth why Daniel's mood had changed so much - the rest of SG-1 were still unaccounted for. She could see that he was very worried for them, but there was really nothing she could do to ease his mind on the matter.

Thankfully, it did not take long for them to hear word that his friends had escaped in death gliders and were on their way home. Yet still Daniel was not as happy as Sha're had thought he would be. Their worst enemy was dead, and SG-1 were all alive. What was there to be sad about?

She tried to get him to talk to her about it, but he kept telling her that they would talk when they got home. Even then, however, it was not until they had put Cate to bed and had turned in for the night themselves that she was able to get so much as a word out of him.

"Tell me, Danyel," she said as she grasped his shoulder to prevent him from turning on his side away from her. "What has made you so upset?"

Daniel sighed and turned to face her, taking one of her hands in his. "I have to tell you something that... you're not going to like it, Sha're."

The pained look in his eyes sent fear through Sha're's heart. "What is it?"

Daniel raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. "We... we saw Skaara. The Goa'uld that has taken him as its host is Apophis' son."

Sha're was confused by this. "You have seen him?" she asked. "Then... he is well? You can still find him again?"

Daniel looked as though he were about to cry. "Sha're..."

Suddenly, she understood what he was trying to say. The ships that had been destroyed had been referred to as "Apophis' ship" and "Klorel's ship." If Klorel was Apophis' son, then that meant... "No!" she cried, snatching her hand away from him and sitting up in the bed. She hugged her knees to her chest and buried her face in her arms. "No!"

She felt Daniel's arms around her then, and his voice whispering in her ear over and over, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." It was not enough to prevent her sobs escaping from her throat no matter how hard she tried not to let them come.

Daniel was so patient and wonderful that night as she poured out her grief and misery into his shoulder. He held her, stroked her, kissed her, spoke soothing words to her, all the while ignoring the bitter words she spat at him - "Why did you not save him? How could you just let him die? You promised you would bring him home! You promised me!" She regretted the words as soon as she had spoken them, but she could not seem to hold them back. Daniel merely kissed her again and rocked her back and forth while his own tears rolled down his cheeks and fell into her hair.

After an hour or so of this, Sha're finally cried herself to sleep. Her dreams were filled with the faces of her brother, her father, and the rest of the family and friends she had left behind. Even though Daniel's arms remained securely wrapped around her all night, she had never felt so alone.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Daniel smiled as Kasuf's face appeared on the monitor. The old man seemed confused but intrigued by the machine that had just rolled through the Stargate, and pressed his face close to the camera as he examined it. Seeing him alive and well made Daniel want to dance for joy.

Then it hit him - this was it. This was the day he would have to say goodbye.

Everyone was silent as he asked for permission to go. Jack looked down at the pen he was fiddling with, doing everything he could to avoid making eye contact with anyone. Sam looked like she either had a bad taste in her mouth or was trying not to cry. Even Teal'c had a look of sorrow in his eyes.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Dr. Jackson?" Hammond asked.

"Yes, General, I'm sure," he replied, feigning confidence and hoping it was convincing everyone. "Sha're has really been missing her family, and we both want Kasuf to know his grandchild. We'll be fine, Sir."

"Oh yes, I'm sure you'll be fine," Jack said in a tone that Daniel knew all too well meant "danger." "Teal'c will be going with you... right, Teal'c?"

"Indeed I will," Teal'c answered quietly.

"And Teal'c will also escort you _back_, won't you, Teal'c?"

"Jack..." Daniel said, sighing and taking his glasses off to rub his eyes wearily. He really didn't have the energy to argue with him about it.

"You will be returning, Dr. Jackson?" Hammond asked.

Daniel shook his head slightly. "I don't know yet, Sir. I really don't know."

To Daniel's surprise, Hammond looked rather hurt by this. "Well, whatever you decide, Son, just remember that there will always be a place for you here. You will be sorely missed if you leave."

Daniel went momentarily speechless, these words touching his heart in a way that didn't happen very often. "Thank you, General," he finally said.

Jack slapped his hands down on the briefing room table and pushed his chair back forcefully. Then he stood up and stormed out of the room.

Daniel swallowed hard as the room fell silent. He hadn't anticipated such an extreme reaction to his departure, not even from Jack. He cleared his throat nervously and stood up. "If you'll excuse me, Sir, I have to go and fetch Sha're and Cate. We'll be ready to go within the hour."

Hammond nodded and allowed Daniel to walk away.

Daniel couldn't believe how hard it was to leave that room. If it were this painful before he even left, how would he manage to stick to his decision to stay on Abydos?

It didn't help that Jack and Sam were heading off to D.C. for a special medal ceremony. He felt bad that he wasn't going with him, yet at the same time, it seemed ironically apt that he couldn't go. The government had chosen to award Jack and Sam with these medals, not him. It was like they were confirming just what he'd been thinking for a while now - he was the expendable one. Jack, Sam, and Teal'c did all of the important work while he translated stuff and discovered artifacts that nobody was interested in.

He felt as though that should ease his mind about leaving them, but it just made him feel worse. In fact, until General Hammond had said such kind words to him and Jack had stormed out of the room in disgust, Daniel had felt that no one would really notice his absence. Now he was starting to rethink the whole thing.

Sha're was silent from the moment he picked her up in the car until they arrived at the SGC. She'd been very quiet for a few days, and it was starting to worry him. She looked tired and pale, and her eyes had once again lost their sparkle. Every time he'd brought the subject of Abydos up with her, she'd somehow managed to either steer the conversation onto another track or just not said a word. Daniel knew she was expecting him to leave her there, despite his repeated assurances that if she wanted to go, they would all go. He didn't know how else to convince her that he wanted them to stay together, so he just didn't say anything at all.

Cate didn't seem to notice that anything was wrong, for which Daniel was grateful. She babbled away from the backseat throughout the entire drive, despite her parents' silence. She had begun to be able to walk while holding someone's hand a few weeks earlier, so when Daniel took her out of her car seat and lifted her up, she objected quite firmly. "Down," she commanded.

"No down," Daniel said. "Daddy has to carry you, okay?"

Daniel snapped his head around to look over at Sha're as he heard her stifle a sob. She was turned away from him, so he couldn't see her face.

"Sha're?" he said. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine," she said, turning to give him a forced smile. "Are we ready?"

Daniel didn't answer. He shifted Cate a little to sit on his hip and held his free hand out to Sha're. When she took it, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "We're going to be okay," he said.

Sha're nodded and dabbed at her eyes. "I know."

Daniel kissed her temple, and they headed into the complex hand in hand.

Their first stop was the locker room, where Daniel had left their Abydonian robes. They quickly put them on, and then made their way to the gate room. That was when his resolve began to crumble.

Jack, Sam, Teal'c, and Hammond were all waiting at the base of the ramp looking more woebegone than Daniel had ever seen them.

"Have a good time, Son," Hammond said, shaking his hand with a firm grip.

"Thank you, Sir. I'm sure we will," Daniel said as Sha're gave him a polite bow.

Daniel passed Cate to Sha're as he came to Sam, and then wrapped his arms around his friend's shoulders.

"Don't be a stranger," Sam said into his ear, sounding close to tears.

"We won't," he promised.

When he released her, he turned to Jack, who was still looking mightily ticked off about the whole situation. He held his hand out to him, and Jack clasped it in his own.

"Keep the door open for us," Jack said significantly.

Daniel knew what he meant by that - Jack was planning to come to Abydos as soon as the ceremony was over, and was either going to escort Daniel back to Earth or drag him back by the scruff of his neck. "Of course we will," he said. To his surprise, Jack then pulled him into a brief but heartfelt hug. It wasn't the first time Jack had hugged him, but Daniel certainly hadn't been expecting it just now.

Jack let him go just in time for Daniel to see Sam saying goodbye to Sha're and Cate. This filled him with even more sadness, as he'd often lamented the fact that Sha're and Sam hadn't become close during Sha're's stay on Earth. Sha're had gotten along so well with Catherine and Janet, yet for some reason, she and Sam had never really clicked. Now they never would.

He stepped aside as Jack moved to give Sha're a quick hug goodbye and tweak Cate's nose, and then before he knew it, the gate was dialling Abydos.

This was it. He was leaving.

Cate giggled and clapped her hands as the gate activated, but Daniel just wanted to cry. His legs felt like lead as he started to climb the ramp, but he took the baby from Sha're, linked his hand with his wife's, and put one foot in front of the other. Teal'c followed them without a word, and already Daniel could tell that he was taking his job of silent bodyguard seriously.

Daniel stopped once they reached the gate and turned to look back one last time.

"Bye bye," Cate said, waving her fingers and smiling at Jack, Sam, and Hammond.

They all waved back just as Daniel stepped through the event horizon. He felt horrible for leaving at a time like that, but he just couldn't stand it anymore. The looks of betrayal in their eyes were too much.

Kasuf was there to greet them as they came through, and Sha're immediately fell into her father's arms. That was one of the reasons Daniel had taken Cate from her before they had left Earth. The other was that he knew the girl would be a little shaken after the ride, which she was. She didn't cry, but clung to Daniel's shoulders as if for dear life.

"Sha're," Kasuf said, sounding relieved to see his daughter alive and well. He pulled back from her and took her face in his hands. "You are well?" he asked.

"I am, Father," Sha're replied. "You must meet your granddaughter." She turned to Daniel and beckoned him closer.

A proud smile spread across Kasuf's face as he nodded his head in greeting to Daniel and gazed lovingly upon his grandchild. Daniel turned her around so that Kasuf could see her face, but she ducked it shyly back into his neck.

"She is beautiful," Kasuf declared. Then he looked over at Teal'c. "Who is your friend?" he asked.

"This is Teal'c," Daniel replied. "He was once an enemy soldier, but now he fights along with us in our battle against the false gods."

Teal'c bowed his head in greeting.

"I feel you have much to tell me," Kasuf said, returning the gesture and then putting his arm around Sha're. "Come, we must celebrate your safe return!"

He turned to leave the pyramid, but Daniel called him back. "Good Father?"

"Yes?"

"About Skaara..." Daniel paused and winced as Sha're's face suddenly fell again. "We... we're not sure whether he's still alive or not," he confessed. "There is a demon possessing his body and the last we heard of him... he may be lost to us. I'm sorry, Good Father."

Kasuf's joyful look was replaced with one of seriousness as Daniel spoke, but he took the news well. He nodded gravely and said, "I believe you have done your best to save him. It is no fault of yours. Come."

Daniel exchanged relieved glances with Sha're and took her hand again as Kasuf led them out of the pyramid and across the sands to the nearby village.

A small crowd had gathered on the outskirts of the village for their heroes' return, and the numbers quickly grew as word spread that Daniel and Sha're had returned with their little one in tow. Daniel had never been so heartily greeted in his entire life, and he found it a little overwhelming. He soon lost count of how many hugs and kisses he received.

Sha're seemed to be getting the same treatment, while Cate was snatched from her father's arms and fussed over by every woman who could get within two feet of her. If Daniel had heard her utter so much as one frightened squawk, he would have taken her away from them in a heartbeat, but oddly enough, the child seemed to be enjoying the attention. Teal'c, meanwhile, had vanished to the back of the swarm. Daniel could only hope for Teal'c's sake that he'd managed to avoid being smothered by the overly excitable Abydonians.

When they finally reached Kasuf's tent, the crowd dispersed in order to give the family some time alone. Sha're had rescued Cate from her new admirers by then, so she set her down in the middle of the floor with a couple of the toys they had brought for her.

Kasuf watched Cate in adoration as she sat playing, smiling and exclaiming over every little thing she did while still managing to ask Daniel and Sha're question after question about what they had been doing in the time they'd been gone. He seemed very impressed that Daniel had been "out battling the gods," but was pleased to hear that Sha're had remained safe at home.

It was when Kasuf asked whether they were going to stay on Abydos that the room fell silent.

"We are... thinking about it," Daniel answered hesitantly. He looked to Sha're for help, but she was looking down at her hands.

"As much as I would like for you to find my son and bring him back to me," Kasuf said, "and as much as I like to think of you fighting against the gods to bring justice to all those they have wronged, I miss my daughter and grandchild greatly."

"I know you do," Daniel said. "Believe me, I want nothing more than for Sha're to be here among her family..."

Daniel didn't get any further with that sentence, as Sha're suddenly stood up and rushed out of the tent. He and Kasuf stared at each other in surprise for a moment before Daniel stood up and started after her. "Please watch Cate for a minute, Good Father," he said before he ducked out of the tent and went looking for his wife.

It didn't take him long to find her. She was sitting on the ground behind the tent with her arms around her knees and her face hidden from view. Daniel sat down next to her and stroked her back. "Are you alright?"

Sha're lifted her head a little, and it worried Daniel how pale she looked. "I will be fine," she said. "The trip through the Stargate has unsettled me, that is all."

"Do you need me to bring you anything...?"

"Danyel," she cut him off quietly. "I am once again with child."

Daniel narrowed his eyes at her in confusion. "With... you're... you're pregnant?"

She nodded. "I did not know for certain until today," she said. "I would have told you, but I was afraid you would not allow me to come here."

Daniel wrapped his arm around her shoulders, giving her a gentle hug. "It's okay," he said. "It's wonderful news."

Sha're's lips trembled as she fought back tears. "No, it is not," she said.

Again Daniel was surprised and confused. "Why not?"

"It makes this so much more difficult."

"Makes what more difficult?"

Sha're shuddered as her tears finally began to fall. "Saying goodbye." She leaned her forehead against Daniel's chest and started to sob.

"No... no, Sha're... we're not saying goodbye," Daniel said, desperately trying to make her understand. "I'm not going anywhere without you. Not ever, do you understand? If you want to stay here, I'm staying, too."

She lifted her head to look up at him, and he brushed the tears from her face with his fingertips. "But your work," she argued. "You cannot leave now... who will take your place?"

"They'll find someone," he said. "What I do isn't all that important anyway."

"But it is! Danyel, you are the one who made the Stargate work... who discovered how to reach other worlds! You have saved your world and others so many times, and have made so many important discoveries that will save them time and again in days to come! How can you say that what you do is not important?"

Daniel smiled and kissed her forehead. "I didn't realize you were keeping score," he joked.

"And if you are gone, who will find Skaara?" she asked, ignoring his attempt at lightening the mood.

"Jack is looking for Skaara," Daniel said. "I'm not needed for that."

"No," Sha're said firmly, shaking her head. "I wish you to stay, Danyel. I wish you to fight until all Goa'uld are gone."

"But what about you? I can't live without you and Cate... and this new baby, too. If we can't be together..."

"Then I will stay with you."

Daniel couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew how homesick Sha're had been - how could she pass up the chance to come back? "Are... are you sure?"

"I am sure," she said, straightening her back and putting her most determined expression on her face. "I wish for us to remain on Earth... at least until our child is born. The doctors on Earth were able to save our baby when no midwife here could have done so. It would be safer for me to have our baby on your world."

Daniel didn't even bother to argue the point further. He could tell by the look on her face that she had made up her mind. He didn't look forward to breaking the news to Kasuf, but he couldn't help but feel elated. For weeks, he'd been dreading this day - the day he would be faced with the choice of abandoning either his wife and child or his friends and the important work they did together. Now that choice was no longer an issue - he wouldn't be abandoning either.

On top of that, they now had another baby to look forward to. Daniel felt in that moment, as he gathered his wife into his arms and kissed her tears away, that life couldn't possibly get any sweeter.

To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

**Longing For Home - Chapter 7**

Sha're fingered her husband's short hair as he slept, feeling a slight pang of grief over the beautiful long locks that had recently been cut off. He still looked just as handsome as ever, but she did miss being able to bury her fingers in his soft, beautiful hair.

Still, she could not complain. He had once again returned to her after being presumed lost. She did not dare to think about what would have happened if SG-1 had not been rescued from the false goddess Hathor when they had. As it was, Jack O'Neill had barely escaped being taken over by a Goa'uld, and no doubt Daniel and Sam would have been next. That would have been their worst fears come true.

Daniel sighed in his sleep, and feeling his warm breath on her bare shoulder made Sha're shiver with pleasure. It had been so long since he had slept here at home in their bed, and Sha're had stayed awake on purpose so as to enjoy every moment of it. As usual, he had fallen asleep with his head on her shoulder and his hand on her swollen belly, but the familiar position seemed so much sweeter now, after the horrible things he had just been through. She felt as though when they held each other like this she was able to take away a small measure of his pain, and that was the most important thing she could ever do.

As this thought entered her mind, however, she told herself that she must not think that way any more. Daniel had told her many times that she was not there merely to serve him and belong to him - that they were to give and take equally, and never be afraid to tell each other when there was something they needed - but these views were so different from the ones she had been raised with that she still tended to forget them.

She did remember now, though. Just as she was there to take away Daniel's pain, so was he there to take away hers. "A two-way street," as Daniel called it. Now was the time to test his sincerity in this matter.

"Danyel?" she said quietly. She gave his shoulder a gentle shake. "Danyel? Please wake up."

He grunted and shifted position a little. "Wha's the matter?" he slurred.

"Danyel, I need to speak with you," she said a bit louder.

He rubbed his eyes and squinted up at her for a moment before closing them again. "I'm s' tired. Can it wait till morning?"

"No, it cannot."

Daniel sighed and rolled over onto his back. "Okay," he said. "What is it?"

Sha're propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at him for a moment before speaking. Then she stroked his face and said, "I need to know that you are here."

His eyes softened with sympathy, and he took her hand and kissed it. "Of course I'm here," he said. "I'm sorry you were all alone for so long, but now I'm home. I'm really home."

"And you will not go away again?"

Daniel closed his eyes and held her hand against his cheek. "You know I can't promise that," he said.

"But you will try?"

"Of course I'll try. I always try. I fight with all that's in me so that at the end of the day I come back to you, Sha're. It's just that sometimes... what I'm fighting against is stronger. Thankfully, I've always managed to walk away from things like this in tact, but there's a very real possibility that one day I won't."

Sha're sucked in a breath as she felt a sob rising in her throat. "This does not make me feel better," she said, snatching her hand away from him and laying back against her pillows.

"I know." Daniel rolled onto his side facing her and began to stroke her belly. "I know all of this is hard for you. Probably harder for you staying here waiting for me to come home than it is for me being out there. But we knew the threat of me leaving here one day and never coming back was very real right from the first mission. Nothing's changed."

"Much has changed," she argued. "You are a father, Danyel..."

"I know," he whispered, a look of sorrow on his face. "Believe me, I think about you and our children every time I have to face something dangerous, wondering whether I'll ever see you again... whether our children will become fatherless before they're even old enough to remember me..."

"Stop, please stop," Sha're begged as she burst into tears. She wrapped her arms around him and clung to him desperately.

Daniel held her in silence for a minute before he continued. "But," he said quietly into her ear, "when I think of the amount of good that SG-1 have done over the past couple of years, I know I'm doing the right thing."

Sha're did not respond to this. She knew deep down inside that he was right. She had been the one to convince him of the fact in the first place, so it would be pointless to argue. Still, even knowing that Daniel was doing the right thing did not make the thought of losing him any less terrifying.

Another minute passed in silence. Once Sha're's tears and tremors had ceased, Daniel took her face in his hands and tried to pull her head up from his chest.

"Sha're? Look at me."

She sniffled and obediently lifted her head to look at him.

"If you want me to quit... I will."

Sha're stared at him in surprise. "You... you will?"

"Of course I will," he said, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I couldn't put you through all of this if you really didn't want me to go."

She took a deep breath as she mulled this over. She wanted him to stay with her all day every day, but she knew that was not possible. She had told him months earlier that she wished to stay on Earth at least until the baby was born, mainly so that he could continue his work and still be with her. How could she go back on that now?

"I..." She stopped as she all but choked on the word. She gripped his hand as it was still pressed against her face, and drew on his strength to say what she needed to say. "I do not wish you to leave SG-1," she said. "Just... come home to me."

"Always," Daniel whispered. He kissed her and drew her close, holding her so tight against his chest that she could feel his heartbeat against her cheek.

She was still worried about what would come in their future, but for the moment Daniel was home safe and sound. She resolved to find her comfort in that and leave her worrying for a later date. Then she finally allowed herself to relax and fall asleep, securely wrapped in her husband's arms.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Daniel sat on the couch with his head in his hands as Jack was ushered to the door by a very pregnant Sha're.

"We will be fine," Sha're assured him for the one-thousandth time. "Daniel just needs to rest and be with his family. I will take care of him."

Daniel smiled and raised his head to look over at her as she spoke. He still wasn't used to her saying his name properly, though she had been trying to lose her accent for a few weeks now. He kind of missed hearing her say "Danyel," but any way she said his name was music to his ears regardless.

"Bye bye, Uncle Jack," Cate said in her shy little voice.

"See ya, munchkin," Jack returned, squatting down to give her rosy cheek a quick kiss. Then he stood up and turned to look over in Daniel's direction. "I'll call tonight, Daniel," he said. "Take it easy."

Daniel couldn't help but roll his eyes. "I will. I will."

Jack flicked his hand in a half-hearted wave, and then he was gone.

Daniel let out a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. The look on Sha're's face spoke of much mother henning to come in his not-so-distant future.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she waddled over to him with her hand pressed to her back. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine," he said, reaching up to take her hand in his. "You're the one who needs to be looked after, not me."

"Daniel, you were in the hospital just yesterday," she chided. "You must rest."

"That was a misunder..." Daniel started to protest, but Sha're raised a hand to silence him. "Okay," he conceded, pulling his legs up onto the couch and laying down with his head on one of the cushions. "I'll rest. As long as you rest with me."

Sha're looked as though she would argue, but then she smiled. "Alright," she said.

Daniel moved over as close to the back of the couch as he could while Sha're stretched herself out on the edge beside him. Her large stomach came to rest on his, even though the rest of her was barely touching him at all. He put his arm around her, and she snuggled her head into his shoulder comfortably.

Cate was not one to be left out of anything that was going on, so before long she clambered up onto the couch and crawled along Daniel's legs in an attempt to snuggle with her parents. Daniel was quick enough to grab her before she planted her hands or knees anywhere too sensitive, and hauled her up the rest of the way until she lay stomach-down on his chest with her head tucked under his chin.

"Daddy, snuggle," she said, stretching her arms out across his chest.

Daniel smiled and stroked her hair. He knew it was getting close to her naptime, so she was likely to fall asleep there. He didn't mind a bit.

He couldn't believe the difference a day had made for him. He could still feel the after-effects of the drugs he'd been given over the last couple of days, and the overly sanitized smell of the psychiatric hospital he had just been rescued from still lingered in his nostrils. The contrast between his memories of that white padded cell and the pleasant comforts of home that were now surrounding him was almost overwhelming. His arms tightened around his precious family as he thought about how close he'd come to never being allowed to hold his own children again.

Sha're raised her head and looked down at him in concern. "Are you well?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he assured her, though he didn't have a free hand to wipe away the tear he could feel rolling down his face. "I'm just so glad to be home."

Sha're smiled and kissed the tear away. "I am glad, also," she said. "I knew when they told me you had gone insane that it could not be so."

Daniel sighed. "I was pretty scared that it might be true," he confessed. "Schizophrenia may not run in my family, but Nick is in a psychiatric hospital, so..."

"Nick?" Sha're cut in. "Your grandfather?"

Daniel immediately regretted bringing it up. He hadn't wanted Sha're to find out about Nick, in case it made her think less of him in some way. "I... yeah. My grandfather."

"He is insane?"

Daniel shifted uncomfortably. "Well... not exactly," he said. "He had a nervous breakdown."

"But he is alive?"

"Yeah. I used to visit him, but I haven't in a few..."

"Why do you not visit him now?"

Daniel was starting to feel a little irritated by her constant stream of questions. "I don't know," he said. "We had a fight just before I went to Abydos, and he made it quite clear he didn't want to have any more to do with me. I've respected his wishes."

"But would he not wish to meet his grandson's family?"

"I really don't know," he said with a sigh. "Can we not talk about this, please?"

"I am merely trying to understand why you do not wish your grandfather to know our children," she said in a very reasonable tone.

"For the same reason that I wouldn't have wanted them to come visit me if I'd stayed in that hospital indefinitely," Daniel replied, trying to keep his voice low so he didn't disturb Cate, but feeling aggravated enough to shout. "Places like that are frightening for adults, let alone for children. I didn't want to expose them to that, especially if he would just start berating me for what I've done with my life."

"Alright," Sha're said in an attempt to calm him down. "You know him best. I am sorry for questioning your judgment."

Daniel glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as she nestled her head against his shoulder again. He was beginning to suspect that Sha're had learned how to weasel her way around him to get what she wanted, and that this "apology" wasn't really an apology at all. The corners of his mouth curled up as he thought about it. She was good.

"No, you don't have to be sorry," he said, knowing he was being predictable, but not caring. "You're right... he should know his great-grandchildren. I tell you what - his birthday's coming up in about a month from now. I'll see if I can arrange a birthday visit for him."

Sha're reached her hand out to cup the side of his face, and turned it towards herself to give him a brief kiss on the lips. "Thank you, Daniel," she said. "I look forward to meeting your last remaining relative."

Daniel almost chuckled as she subtly made her final point. He still had misgivings about it, but if Sha're wanted that badly to meet a member of his family, he couldn't tell her no. He just hoped that Nick wouldn't create a scene like he had on Daniel's last visit.

He lay there lost in memories of his childhood and young adulthood for the next half an hour or so, as his wife and child dozed peacefully in his arms. He was just drifting off to sleep when he felt Sha're go stiff and let out a quiet cry of pain. He was wide-awake in an instant.

"Sha're?" He tried to sit up, but was weighed down by the child lying on his chest. "What's wrong?"

She panted for breath and gripped his shoulder with one hand while the other massaged her belly. "I think it was a contraction," she said.

Cate woke up then, rubbing her eyes and making soft whimpering sounds. "Mommy?" she said, reaching her arms out for Sha're.

"Mommy's not feeling well, sweetheart," Daniel said. He kept hold of her as he sat up, and thankfully she didn't protest when he prevented her from going to her mother. "Are you okay?" he asked Sha're.

She nodded. "It has passed."

Daniel glanced at his watch. "Okay, I'm timing. Let me know when the next one hits. Not that I'll be able to miss it," he added with a hint of teasing in his tone.

Sha're smiled weakly. "I must get ready to go to the hospital," she said as she rose to her feet.

Daniel watched her waddle away, marvelling once again at her strength and calm during situations like this. He was trying to appear as calm as she was on the outside, but inside he was a bundle of nerves.

Especially after what had happened - or almost happened - when Cate was born.

Despite Daniel's fears, however, twelve hours later their second daughter was born healthy and whole. There were no complications during the birth, and she let out a wail just seconds after leaving her mother, at which point the doctors declared she had the healthiest lungs they'd come across in a while. She also fed like a pro right away, which was a very good thing in Daniel's opinion, as she was quite a big, chubby baby already.

Once again, Jack, Sam, Teal'c, Catherine, and Ernest all gathered around them as soon as the baby was born, did the usual oohing and aahing over her every move, and had their say in the choosing of her name. Elisa Claire was what they unanimously decided upon, and as soon as Daniel said it to her beautiful little face, he knew it was the only name she could ever have been called.

They decided to leave it until they brought the baby home before Cate was introduced to her new baby sister, so Elisa was very much aware of her surroundings by then. She stared up at Cate in fascination as Daniel held the girl over the cradle, and Cate was enamoured with her from that moment on. She seemed to think the baby was some kind of doll that Mommy and Daddy were playing with, and emulated their actions with her own dolls - pretending to bathe them, change their diapers, and even feed them. Daniel and Sha're couldn't help but laugh at her mimicry, though they tried not to do so when Cate could hear them.

Cate and Elisa's birthdays fell very close to each other - barely three weeks apart - so the joke was often made that Elisa was Cate's birthday present. Cate didn't really understand this, as it was Mommy and Daddy who got to play with her, but Daniel soon explained it all to her in a way that she could understand.

He couldn't believe how good it felt to have these entertaining little beings in his life, and couldn't remember how he'd ever lived without them.

Daniel was careful to keep an eye on Sha're for the first few days after Elisa's birth for signs that she was heading into another depression, but to his relief she seemed just fine. It seemed to help that Cate was getting to the age where she was starting to talk in sentences, as that made Sha're feel that she wasn't alone when Daniel was gone. She had her hands full with the two girls, and could almost carry a conversation with one of them. That left little time for worry or homesickness.

Meanwhile, work at the SGC was just as adventuresome as ever. Visiting another alternate reality, being kidnapped by a bounty hunter... Daniel was starting to get used to such odd things happening. Paying a visit to Nick didn't feel quite so daunting after kneeling before Apophis and having to explain alternate realities to him.

The planned birthday visit came just over a month after Elisa's birth, not long after the incident with Aris Boch, the bounty hunter. Daniel was given the weekend off, so he packed his little family up and took them off to Oregon.

Elisa didn't take as kindly to flying as Cate had, and cried almost the entire way there. Daniel felt that didn't bode well for the rest of the trip, but as soon as they landed, the baby fell asleep and was fine from then on.

Cate reacted to this trip the same way she had reacted to their trip to Egypt - everything fascinated her. Daniel was sure that she never even blinked between leaving home and arriving at the hospital, she was too busy staring at all of the new sites and interesting people they passed.

Once they were there, Daniel left Sha're and the girls in the waiting area, and asked the attendant for Nick to be brought into the visitors' room. He only had to wait five minutes until he was told he could go in and see him.

The old feeling of butterflies came back to him as he raised his hand to the doorknob of the visitors' room. He had always felt that way when he'd visited Nick for all those years. He hated seeing him so hopeless and decrepit, especially when he remembered the energetic, passionate man he'd known as a child - the man he had always wanted to become.

After taking a moment to steel his nerves, Daniel opened the door and entered the room.

"Hey, Nick," he said quietly as he saw the old man sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs, staring at the wall. "Happy birthday."

Nick looked over at him when he heard his voice. "So it is you," he said. "I did not believe them when they said you had come to see me."

Daniel took a deep breath and stepped farther into the room, sitting down in a chair across from Nick's. "Yeah, it's me," he said. "It's good to see you."

Nick's eyes softened as he gazed at his grandson, but he didn't speak.

Daniel wasn't sure what to say next. Nick's unwavering gaze was making him feel even more nervous and throwing off his train of thought. "Um... I guess I mostly came because... I wanted you to meet your great-grandchildren."

"Great-grandchildren?" Nick repeated in what Daniel assumed to be either awe or disbelief. "I take it you are married?"

"Yes, my wife is here, too. She's... she's a wonderful woman. I know you'll love her."

"Don't tell me Sarah took you back."

Daniel winced and looked down at his hands. Sarah had been a sore spot between the two of them for the short time their relationship had lasted, and Nick had been quite triumphant when she had broken up with him. He had predicted as much from the moment Daniel had first mentioned they were seeing each other, and wasn't quiet about the fact. "No, Nick, it isn't Sarah."

"Good. She was no good for you. Right from the start, I told you..."

"Nick," Daniel interrupted. "Let's just... forget about all of that, okay? I'm happy now. I love my life, I have a growing family... I want you to be a part of it all."

"You love your life?" Nick narrowed his eyes at him. "Even after getting yourself laughed out of academia? Even after losing everything you had and the hope of achieving your goals?"

Daniel sighed and leaned his elbows on his knees, pressing his forefingers against his mouth. "I didn't lose everything, Nick. I thought I had at first, but then I met Sha're. She made me see that there was still hope for me to have a happy, fulfilled life."

Nick snorted. "So you threw away your career, but the love of a good woman is enough to make up for it."

"I didn't throw away my career, actually. I have a very good job, and I love it very much. I work for the Air Force..."

"You fly planes now, do you?"

Daniel shook his head in despair. He was beginning to regret coming here in the first place. "No, I work as a translator mostly," he said, using the usual cover story. "I get to travel a lot, go on the occasional dig, work alongside some of the greatest archaeologists and linguists I've ever met... It's all I've ever wanted to do, so yes, I'm happy."

Nick nodded slowly and rose from his chair to stand over by the window. He stood there in silence for a few moments, looking through the window with a thoughtful expression on his face. When he spoke, his voice sounded far away, as though he were lost in memories. "I am sorry."

"For what?"

Nick shrugged. "For so many things," he said. "For not adopting you when your parents died... for not believing your theories and ridiculing you for them... for chasing you away when you had lost everything but me." He turned halfway around to look over at Daniel. "Would you forgive me?"

Daniel stood up and crossed over to him. "Of course I forgive you," he said, laying his hand on Nick's arm.

"You must understand that it was all because I cared about you," Nick went on, tears filling his eyes. "I could not adopt you and drag you along with me as I travelled the world..."

"I know."

"When you started going on about your theories of the pyramids and the aliens, all I could think about was the way people had treated me for having similar theories about the crystal skull I found. I thought that if I could dissuade you from these beliefs..."

"I know, Nick," Daniel cut him off, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. "I know."

Nick looked into Daniel's eyes and nodded. "I am glad you have not turned into me, as I feared you would."

Daniel felt like someone had knifed him in the heart. He couldn't even respond to that. He felt so bad for Nick, not only for what he had gone through, but also for how worried he must have been during Daniel's similar experiences.

"I would like to meet your family now," Nick said, snapping Daniel out of his momentary trance.

"Yes, of course," Daniel said after he'd given himself a mental shake. "I'll bring them in." He smiled and patted Nick's arm, and then turned to leave the room.

He felt as though a very important page had just been turned in his life, but he wasn't sure yet just what would come of it.

To be continued...


	8. Chapter 8

**Longing For Home - Chapter 8**

Daniel was only gone for a short time before he returned to the waiting room and whispered to Sha're that Nick was ready to see them. His expression was guarded, almost as though he did not want her to know what he was thinking, but he did not seem upset. Sha're took that as a good sign.

She felt as though she should be more anxious than she was as she and Daniel carried their girls through the halls toward the visitors' room. Meeting Daniel's family, though, was something she had dreamed about ever since they had married. She had thought it was impossible, first because they were living worlds away from Earth, and then because he told her his family were all dead. She still did not understand why he had not told her that his grandfather was alive all of these years, but she was glad that she could meet him now. She wanted to see how Daniel had come to be the wonderful, handsome, intelligent man he was today.

As soon as she walked into the room, she could tell that this old man was Daniel's relative. He looked more or less like an older version of her husband, right down to the blue eyes that her children had inherited.

"Nick, this is my wife, Sha're," Daniel said with a hint of pride in his voice. "Sha're, this is my grandfather, Nick."

Sha're smiled. "I am pleased to meet you," she said, giving him as much of a bow as she could while she held her sleeping baby in her arms.

"It is a pleasure," Nick returned. His smiled seemed a little forced, but otherwise he was perfectly polite. Sha're began to doubt the description Daniel had given of him earlier.

"And these are our daughters," Daniel continued. "This is Cate. She just turned two." He stepped close to Nick with Cate in his arms, and tried to coax her to give her great-grandfather a smile.

"Hello, Cate," Nick said, waving and smiling at the shy girl.

Cate turned and buried her face in Daniel's chest.

"She's a little shy," Daniel said. He cuddled the girl close and kissed her hair. Then he turned back to Nick and said, "I don't know what you want her to call you, so..."

"Nick," he said quickly, but then he seemed to think about it further. "Or grandpa would be fine," he finished.

Daniel smiled. "Grandpa Nick?"

Nick shrugged and nodded.

Daniel turned to aim his smile in Sha're's direction and winked. "Sounds good to me," he said. "Now that little one over there is Elisa." He gestured for Sha're to come closer, so she slowly approached the two men. "She's just five weeks old."

"Elisa," Nick repeated. Sha're held the baby in such a way that he could easily see her, and he gazed at her with a soft smile on his face.

"Would you like to hold her?" Sha're asked quietly.

"Yes... if you would allow me," he replied.

Sha're nodded, and carefully passed the baby over to him.

Nick seemed a little nervous at holding her at first, but then he relaxed and smiled down at the sleeping child. "She is beautiful," he said.

"We named her Elisa Claire," Daniel said softly.

Nick's head snapped up to look at him. "Claire?"

Daniel nodded.

Tears sprang into Nick's eyes as he looked down at the baby again. "She is a little like my Claire," he mused. "She had the same round cheeks and long lashes." He chuckled. "So did you."

Sha're smiled and looked over at Daniel. It was nice to hear about what he was like as a child. "Please, tell me more of Daniel as an infant," she said.

"No, no, no, I'm sure you don't want to hear about that," Daniel said in embarrassment.

"Nonsense," Nick said. "She would not have asked if she did not want to hear." He turned to look up at Sha're then, and his expression softened considerably as he seemed to lose himself in fond memories. "Daniel was a troublemaker from the moment he was born," he said.

"Oh no," Daniel groaned, hiding his face in Cate's hair.

"Did he tell you that he was so strong as a newborn babe that he grabbed onto... what was it? The bedroom curtains? He gave them such a yank that down they came, right on top of his poor mother."

Nick let out such hearty laughter that Sha're could not help but join in. This awakened Elisa, and she began to cry at finding herself in the arms of a stranger.

"I will take her," Sha're said, bending to take the baby from him. "Please, continue."

"No, please don't," Daniel begged.

"The one thing that Daniel was famous for right from infancy," Nick said, ignoring Daniel completely, "was his fascination for anything and everything around him. His parents had to always carry him facing out so that he could see every person and everything in the room at all times. His little eyes would bulge right out of his head when he saw something new."

Sha're laughed. "He is still that way now," she said. "Cate is just the same."

"Is she?" Nick smiled at Daniel and waved again at Cate, who had dared to poke her head out from safety to get a look at the man her parents were so busy talking to. "They are beautiful children," he said wistfully. "You must be very proud."

"I am," Daniel said, kissing his daughter's hair again.

"Thank you for bringing them here to see me."

Daniel forced a smile, though he looked as though he was trying not to cry. "Hopefully we can make a habit of it now," he said. "I'd like them to grow up knowing their Grandpa Nick."

Nick nodded and slowly rose to his feet. Then, to everyone's surprise, he wrapped his arms around Daniel and Cate in a sweet embrace.

Daniel returned it with his free arm, and in that moment Sha're wished she could freeze time and keep them in that embrace forever. It spoke of healing and the love of family that Daniel had been sorely missing for so many years. It made her want to cry for joy.

When the two men broke apart, Cate finally came out of hiding altogether, and reached into Daniel's jacket pocket for the card she had been charged with giving to Nick when they first came in. "Happy birthday," she said as she held it out to him.

Nick took it from her in what seemed to be a state of shock. "Thank you," he said. Then he looked at Daniel in amazement. "She speaks!"

Daniel laughed. "Not just English, either," he said. "She speaks a few words of her mother's native tongue as well. She's a smart little kitten."

Sha're beamed as the two men continued to talk, sharing stories of their daughters with pride in their voices and contented smiles on their faces. Even though Nick seemed to have forgotten that she was there, Daniel kept looking over at her and sending her silent messages with just an expression or a wink that made her heart soar. She could tell that he had never been happier than he was right then.

By the time they left the hospital, Daniel and Nick had seemingly settled their differences and healed the wounds that had been keeping them apart for so long. Their little trip certainly seemed to have been worth it, as they had resolved to keep in touch through regularly scheduled phone calls and visits from then on.

Suddenly, Earth seemed to hold more ties for them than it ever had, and somehow, Sha're did not mind at all.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The sound of Cate's little voice chattering away met Daniel's ears as soon as he stepped out of the car. He couldn't hear her words, but her voice was carrying through the open windows of the house. He smiled as he climbed the steps onto the front porch. She was becoming quite the chatterbox.

As soon as he entered the house, he heard the pitter-patter of little feet coming down the hall - or the stomp-stomp of Cate running through from the kitchen would be a better way of putting it.

"Daddy's home!" she shouted as she hurled herself into his open arms.

"Hey there, Kitten," he said as he scooped her up and planted a firm kiss on her cheek. "Were you a good girl while Daddy was gone?"

"Yeah," she replied, "and I went on the potty!"

"Wow! Good for you!" He hugged her tight and she giggled as she hugged him back.

Sha're bustled into the room then, her eyes full of worry and fear. "Daniel," she said anxiously. "Is he..."

"He's free," Daniel said, setting Cate down on the floor and moving to embrace his wife before she had a chance to react to the news. "He's alive and well and free."

Sha're fell into his arms and began to sob and laugh at the same time. Daniel didn't blame her - he'd been doing a lot of that himself ever since Klorel had been taken from Skaara forever.

"Where is he now?" Sha're asked when she could finally talk again. "May I see him?"

"He's still at the SGC," Daniel said, pulling her back from him so he could wipe the tears from her face. "He'll be going back to Abydos tomorrow if all is well. He wants to see you."

Sha're smiled and wrapped her arms around Daniel's neck. "Thank you, Daniel," she said into his ear. "Thank you so much."

Daniel stroked her back and kissed her neck. "You'd better go get ready," he said after a few moments. "I'll call Cassie and see if she can come watch the girls while we're gone."

Sha're nodded and peeled herself off of him. Then she hurried back into the kitchen, wiping her eyes as she went.

Daniel sighed. As wonderful as this day was for them, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed at the thought of what was about to happen. If Skaara was now free, there was no reason for Sha're to remain on Earth. She would want to go back to Abydos to be there for him as he rebuilt his shattered life, and Daniel and the children would of course go with her. That meant a lot of work for him in resigning from the SGC and packing up their house, and it also meant saying a lot of painful goodbyes.

Seeing the joy in Sha're's eyes, however, wiped any selfish thoughts from his mind. She was about to be reunited with her family. He couldn't bring a dampener onto this wonderful event by telling her that he wanted to stay.

It only took twenty minutes for Cassie to arrive, and as soon as she did, Daniel and Sha're left for the SGC. Neither of them said much during the drive, but Daniel could almost feel Sha're's excitement crackling in the air between them. He could tell that it was all she could do to keep herself from bouncing in her seat.

Once they arrived at the SGC, Daniel had to practically run to keep up with her as she made her way into the complex and down to the infirmary. Seconds after she stepped out of the elevator on the infirmary level, she was holding on to her brother so tight it seemed that she would never let him go again.

Everyone around them were wiping tears from their eyes at the scene. Sha're and Skaara clung to each other, crying into each other's shoulders and babbling away in Abydonian. It made Daniel's heart ache with happiness.

Over the next few hours, Sha're and Skaara did a lot of catching up. She showed him pictures of Cate and Elisa and told many little stories about things they had done or said, and they cried together over things that Skaara remembered doing while under the influence of Klorel. It was beautiful to see brother and sister so wrapped up in each other that it was like no one else even existed.

In order to maintain this one-on-one dynamic for them, Daniel stayed back out of sight, keeping his eye on both of them but trying not to eavesdrop on what they were saying. It didn't escape his ears, however, when his name was mentioned.

Skaara was telling her how he had held Daniel in the beam from his hand device, almost killing him and forcing Jack to shoot him in order to save Daniel.

Sha're looked over at Daniel with an expression of horror on her face when she heard this. Daniel hadn't told her about it before because he hadn't wanted her to go through the pain that he knew the knowledge of this incident would cause. Now she was experiencing it anyway.

Daniel looked down at his hands for a moment, and then raised his eyes again to see if she was still looking at him. She was, but her expression had softened to one of sympathy. As soon as they made eye contact, she turned back to Skaara and continued the conversation.

Daniel could only imagine what else was said during this long discussion, but thankfully, by the end of it Sha're looked no worse for wear. She gave Skaara one last embrace and then made her way over to Daniel.

"We should return home," she said. "I only left one bottle prepared, so Elisa will need to be fed."

"Okay," Daniel agreed. He stopped her before she walked away, laying his hand on her shoulder. "Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Yes, everything is fine," she said.

"Are we... do you... when do you want to go back to Abydos?" he asked hesitantly.

Sha're's face fell at this question, and she looked thoughtful for a moment. "Skaara returns tomorrow," she said. "I... I do not believe we could be ready by then, but perhaps the day after?"

Daniel nodded and forced a smile. "That sounds fine," he lied. "I'm sure it won't take long to pack the girls' things. I'll hand my resignation in to Hammond tomorrow."

All the way home, Daniel's heart felt like a lump of lead in his chest. He remembered the reactions his friends had had over his near-departure a year ago. How would they react now? What would he say to Nick? How would they explain the sudden move to Cate? It all seemed more difficult than he was prepared to deal with.

It was late by the time they walked through their front door, and they found Cassie sitting on the couch, quietly reading a book.

"How were they?" Daniel asked as Sha're slipped off to the girls' room to feed Elisa.

"They were fine," Cassie said as she stood up. "They both fell asleep about an hour ago. Cate kept asking a lot of questions about where you'd gone, but I just said you had to visit somebody and you'd be back soon."

"Thanks, Cass," Daniel said, giving her a quick hug. God, he'd miss that kid. "Do you need a ride home?"

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks."

Cassie was silent as they went out to the car, and for the first minute of the drive she just looked out of the window without saying a word. When they turned onto her street, she suddenly broke the silence by saying, "You're leaving, aren't you?"

Daniel glanced over at her in surprise. "How did you figure that out?"

"My mom told me Skaara's back. Considering he's back and not a Goa'uld anymore, you guys seemed pretty serious when you walked in. You're gonna go back, aren't you?"

"We're... thinking about it."

"Why?"

Daniel pulled the car up in front of her house and furrowed his brow at her in confusion. "What do you mean, 'why?'"

"I mean why would you want to leave us? I heard Jack say once that it's because you don't feel at home here. Don't you like us?"

Daniel's jaw just about hit the floor at that. "Of course I like you," he said. "In fact I _love_ you... all of you. I just... I have to think about Sha're. Abydos is her home. She belongs there. Can you understand that?"

Cassie nodded slowly, though the expression on her face didn't speak of understanding, rather reluctant acceptance. "I'll miss you guys, though," she said quietly.

"We'll miss you, too," Daniel said, leaning over to pull her into a hug.

A moment later, Cassie broke away from him, said a quick, "Bye, Daniel," and scrambled out of the car. Daniel suspected it was because she was about to burst into tears.

That little exchange did nothing to make him feel better about his impending move. He was feeling quite depressed by the time he got back to the house. After pacing the living room for a minute or two, he went looking for Sha're to see if she could help him to feel better about the whole thing.

The first place he went to look was the girls' room, but he stopped a few feet away when he saw that Sha're was standing in the doorway looking in at them. He quietly stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he peeked over her shoulder into the room.

Both of the girls were sound asleep, Cate in her little bed and Elisa in her crib. They were both so beautiful that it took Daniel's breath away.

"I cannot seem to tear myself away," Sha're confessed after a minute of silence.

Daniel smiled and kissed her cheek. "I can see why."

Sha're sighed and leaned back against his chest. "They are so contented here," she whispered.

Daniel nodded. "Yes, they are."

"Cate loved the snow last winter."

This statement seemed to come out of nowhere, and it threw Daniel off for a second. What did Cate loving the snow have to do with anything? Then it hit him - perhaps Sha're was questioning their decision to return to Abydos, too.

Once this thought occurred to him, he didn't know what to think or say. Part of him wanted to reassure her that they were doing the right thing, but the rest of him wanted to convince her that the best thing for them to do was stay. He was so uncertain what to say that he didn't say anything at all.

"I think we should stay."

Daniel's mouth fell open in shock for the second time that night. He slowly turned Sha're around to face him and looked her right in the eye to see if she was serious. "You think... what?"

"I do not wish to take our children away from the only world they have known," she said, looking and sounding as calm as could be. "I do not wish to say goodbye to Nick, or Catherine, or any of our friends here. You are enjoying your position on SG-1, and I am building a life for myself and our children here. We should stay."

Daniel smiled and stroked the side of her face. "You really mean that?"

Sha're nodded. "I do. There will always be visits to my family, yes?"

"Yes, of course," Daniel assured her. "Anytime you want."

"Then I have made my decision," she said with an air of finality. "I wish to stay."

Daniel grinned and drew her face closer to his. "I love you," he said, meaning it with every particle of his being. Then he kissed her, long and soft and sweet.

He had always known that his Sha're was the most wonderful, courageous woman he had ever known, and she proved it once and for all with those four little words.

This was their home. They would stay.

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

**Longing For Home - Chapter 9**

Daniel awoke from a deep sleep with his fists clutching at his pillow and tears streaming down his face. He had never had a dream like that before. It had been so vivid, and had lasted so long. It was almost like he had lived an alternate version of the past three years all in one night. He was exhausted.

He looked over at the empty pillow beside him and sighed. The dream had seemed so real, and he had hoped Sha're would be there to comfort him and tell him that everything was alright. He ran his hand over the place where she should be laying. It was cold.

With a heavy sigh, he dragged himself out of bed and plodded through to the bathroom. He stood at the sink for quite a while, splashing water on his face and staring at himself in the mirror as he reflected on the events of the past few years and the way his dream had twisted them all around. Images of Sha're's Goa'uld possession and death floated around in his mind along with the faces of their children, making him question for a moment which was the truth and which was the dream.

"This is ridiculous," he chided himself as he dried his face and left the room. "It was just a damn dream."

He went through to the kitchen and turned the coffee maker on. It was only 0500, but he knew he wasn't likely to fall asleep again even though he didn't have to get up until 0700 today. He was too afraid of falling back into that dream.

Five minutes passed before it occurred to him just how quiet the little house was. He walked slowly back down the hall, pausing as he came to the door of the first bedroom. His dream was still so fresh in his mind that he wasn't sure what he would find when he opened that door, but he gave himself a little shake and turned the handle.

He smiled as he looked into the darkened room. Sha're was sitting there in the rocking chair, fast asleep with the baby in her arms.

After standing there gazing at her for a minute or two, Daniel tiptoed over to his wife and brushed a kiss against her forehead. He knelt down beside her as she slowly opened her eyes and looked at him. "Good morning," he whispered.

Sha're smiled. "Good morning," she said. "What is the time?"

"Just after five," Daniel replied. "Did you fall asleep feeding her?"

"No, she would not settle so I tried rocking her to sleep. I guess I rocked us both to sleep."

Daniel grinned. "Want me to take over?"

Sha're shook her head. "I am fine," she said. "Why are you awake so early?"

Daniel sighed and stroked her arm absently as he answered. "I had a bad dream and couldn't get back to sleep."

"What was it about?"

"You, for the most part." Daniel winced as he remembered the gory details of his dream. "It was like a completely different version of the past three years, where just one thing happened differently and caused everything to change."

"What was the one thing?"

Daniel swallowed hard past the lump that was rising in his throat, and he reached out his hand to stroke his sleeping daughter's face. "You had a miscarriage while we were on Abydos," he answered. "Cate was never born. Because you weren't pregnant the day Apophis came through the gate, you were there in the temple when it happened. You were taken as his queen and had his child."

Sha're's eyes widened at these words. "How terrible," she breathed.

"It was. It was all so vivid, like it was really happening. And that wasn't the worst part... you ended up being killed when the Goa'uld that possessed you tried to kill me. It was awful, Sha're. I woke up crying. It just felt so real."

Sha're wrapped her arm around his shoulders and brought his head to rest on her chest. "It was only a dream, my Daniel," she soothed. "Nothing so horrible as this really happened. Even Skaara has now been returned to us, and we have two beautiful children. It was all just a dream."

Daniel took a deep breath, savouring the scent that always lingered in the air wherever Elisa went - a mixture of sweet milk, baby powder, and that indefinable baby smell that he could never quite put his finger on. "I don't know how I'd live without the three of you," he murmured as Sha're stroked his hair. He hoped with all of his might that he would never find out.

"Daddy?" came a tired little voice from across the room.

Daniel lifted his head to look over at Cate, who was rubbing her eyes and trying to sit up in her little bed. "Hey, sweetie," he said as he stood up and went over to her. "I'm sorry for waking you up."

Cate didn't say another word, just held her arms out to him.

Daniel sat down on the edge of her bed and gathered her into his arms. It suddenly hit him how big she was getting as she wrapped her arms around his neck and promptly fell asleep with her head on his shoulder. She was two and a half now, and no longer looked and acted like a baby. It was a heartbreaking thing to realize, but at the same time it warmed his heart to see his little family growing healthy and strong.

He found that he couldn't bring himself to put her down again, so he stretched out on her bed with his feet dangling over the end and laid her down beside him with their arms still fastened securely around each other. He lay there in silence for quite a while, until he heard Elisa stirring and Sha're begin to feed her.

"We're lucky, aren't we?" he said quietly to his wife when she looked over at him and saw that he was watching her.

Sha're smiled. "We are."

Daniel returned the smile and gave Cate a gentle kiss. He loved his family, he loved his life... he loved being home.

THE END


End file.
